Good Times
by firefox369
Summary: Prince of Tennis IY xover With Naraku gone and Kagome back in the modern era, things are bound to change, especially when Kagome decides to drop by Seigaku and wreak some havoc, even if it is on accident... FujiKag COMPLETE
1. Chapter 1

"What are you planning on doing, onee-chan?" a boy with dark hair and a white cap asked and a sigh escaped from the girl's lips. She slung the light blue racket over her shoulder and bounced the tennis ball a few times before looking at the sky. Her hair draped past her shoulder and down her back to her waist, even when in a high ponytail.

"Does it really matter, Ryoma?" she questioned and the boy was the one to sigh this time.

"No, I guess not, you're always running off doing whatever you want anyways" he murmured.

"Look who's talking" the girl retorted, "always leaving in the middle of matches and buying enough juice to satisfy a family of six for a year! I'm going broke because of your binging!"

Ryoma stood up, picking up his tennis bag, and walked out the door. He completely ignored the girl until he was about to shut the door. "It's your fault you gave me the money" he stated before sliding the door shut.

"Ohhhh, you little prick!" the girl growled through gritted teeth, slamming the door open and racing after him. "Is that how you treat a sister that just came back a few days ago from a trip to the US as an exchange student?!"

"Yes."

"Once we get to your school's tennis courts I'm going to murder you."

"I'd like to see you try."

"You know that I can and will."

"Are you coming to my school now?"

"Don't change the subject!"

"I'm just curious onee-chan."

"No, I'm not, I'm just here to visit a friend that got here because of a scholarship in tennis."

"Oh. So then I guess she's boarding?"

"Hai. She'll be staying in the west wing." Ryoma stopped in his tracks and the girl walked straight past him. When she noticed that he wasn't following her, she turned around. "Is something wrong, Ryoma?" she questioned.

"Are you sure she's boarding in the west wing?" he asked and the girl nodded.

"Why do you ask?"

"Well, you see, the west wing is reserved for guys only."

"N-NANI?!?!?!?!"

---------------------Later--------------------

"WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING, KAGOME?!?!" the girl shouted and the girl in front of her winced.

"Sango, whoa, calm down, it's not like I had a choice in the matter! My dad filled out the form, not me!" the girl, now known as Kagome, whimpered. Her black hair draped over her shoulders and was waist length, her head lowered in submission as she sat on the ground and leaned against a tree to hide from the sun. Her eyes were shut as she drowned in her grief and panic.

"We need to clear this up, this cannot be happening to my dear friend Kagome..." Sango groaned and Kagome let out a timid laugh.

"Actually... I already tried to clear it up... but..."

"But what?"

"The girl's dorms are full..."

"...so you really don't have a choice..."

"Nope."

"I would invite you over to my house but my dad's a pervert... I guess we'll just have to hope that who you're rooming with isn't a pervert either..."

They both released a sigh at the same time when the sound of footsteps alerted Sango.

"Onee-chan, is this the friend you speak of? The one that's boarding in the west wing?"

"Yes, she is Ryoma."

The boy looked Kagome over, as if gauging her abilities. Kagome ignored his gaze and stayed relaxed against the tree.

"Play a game with me" he finally stated and Sango's eyes widened in surprise. Ryoma didn't seem to notice and poked Kagome with his racket when she didn't move. "I said-"

"I heard you the first time, brat" Kagome interrupted as she stood up and picked up the white racket beside her, head still lowered. "Show me the courts and I'll beat the crap out of you, Echizen."

"Gladly, except I'll be the one beating you."

"I don't think you should be doing this, Kagome..." Sango objected as they began to make their way to the tennis courts.

"Why? Afraid that I'm going to embarrass myself to Nanjiroh's prodigy son?" Kagome scoffed and Sango shook her head.

"No... I'm worried about-"

"I know, I know, I was just kidding. Relax, Sango, everything's going to be perfectly fi- whoa..." Kagome cut herself off as she stared at the courts in front of her. "These are ten times better than my last school's..." she whispered.

"Of course they would be, we're one of the top seeds" Ryoma stated, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. They entered a court and Kagome took a ball from a nearby basket, bouncing it against the concrete a few times before tossing it to Ryoma.

"Come on, mini-'Roh" she chirped, "let's see how good you are."

"Mini-'Roh...?" Sango repeated and Kagome grinned at her as Ryoma made his way to the other side of the court.

"Mini Nanjiroh is too long, so mini-'Roh is going to have to do."

"I... see..."

"Are you done talking over there yet?" Ryoma asked and Kagome nodded, standing straight and letting her racket hang limply at her side as Ryoma served. As it neared her, she didn't move and watched as it bounced off the ground and flew towards her face. She tilted her head to the side and avoided getting hit, a smile on her face.

"Using that already, are you, Ryoma? Getting a little impatient, don't you think?"

"Echizen, 15-0" Sango announced and Kagome raised her racket. Ryoma served again and Kagome dodged, connecting the ball with her racket before bouncing it straight up and catching it.

"No handicaps?" she mused.

"Echizen, 30-0"

"...eyes" he finally stated and Kagome shrugged before shutting them.

"Ryoma, that's unfair! How can she play if she can't even see?" Sango complained and Kagome raised her hand, silencing her. Kagome got in her ready position and Ryoma served again. She dodged and hit it back with ease, adding a little twist of her own onto it. It bounced on the ground in front of the boy and flew right at his head. Surprised, he ducked and the ball flew straight over him, barely missing.

"Kagome, 15-30"

"Wow, Echizen's barely winning, even with a handicap?" a voice mumbled as Ryoma served again.

"Kagome, 30-30"

"Never thought I'd see the day this happened..." the voice stated again.

"Kagome, 45-30"

"Ah?! Echizen's losing?! What's wrong with him, Momo-sempai?"

"How am I supposed to know, Eiji?!"

"Game and match goes to Kagome! Nice try, Ryoma" Sango laughed and the boy glared at her.

"I see I've drawn a crowd..." Kagome mumbled softly and turned to face them, eyes still closed.

"Whaa?!?! Ryoma-kun lost to a girl with her eyes closed?!?" Horio exclaimed and Ryoma glared at him, too. He was getting frustrated and Kagome could tell as he stiffly walked past her.

"Madamada dane, ne? Ryoma-kun?" Kagome teased and he stopped in his tracks for a few seconds before walking off again. "Don't tell me that you're going to run away and skip practice."

"I'm going to buy some juice" he replied and Kagome laughed, Sango at her side. As the rest of the tennis team began to file in and warm up, Kagome walked out and sat down under a tree, relaxing.

"Well, I have to go, Kagome. I'll see you later" Sango sighed and Kagome gave a lazy wave, dozing off. The snapping of a tree twig nearby alerted her and she woke, making sure to keep her eyes shut.

"So you're the one that beat Echizen so easily."

"Hai" Kagome yawned.

"I had a hunch, but I had to make sure. So, what do you plan on doing now?"

"Nothing. Play tennis when ever I feel like it and that's all."

"Really? With your skills you're probably at the national level, Kagome-chan."

Kagome smiled and opened her eyes. "My, you've grown, Syusuke onii-san."

"I'm not your brother."

"Is it so wrong that I think of you as one?" she questioned innocently before Ryoma raced past her and towards the outdoor sinks. "What's that about?"

"Inui's special vegetable juice."

A barfing noise was soon heard and Kagome sweat-dropped. "It must be lethal..." she commented and Fuji smiled.

"I don't think it's very bad but no one seems to agree with me."

"Fuji-sempai!!! It's almost your turn!!!!!!!" a voice hollered and Fuji Syusuke said a quick apology before jogging off. Another person raced passed, hissing, and Kagome sweat-dropped more.

"Something is wrong with you, Syusuke-san... that guy looked pretty tough and even _he_ couldn't handle it..." Curiosity taking over, she stood up and entered the court, curious to see this 'juice' that was making everyone die. She froze the moment she stepped in the court. "...it looks like a war zone..." she laughed nervously and watched as Syusuke chugged the glass filled with the weird green substance. When he stopped, there was still a little left over.

"Did you add something? It tastes different than last time" Fuji stated and crashes could be heard as people fell over. She felt the glass being placed in her hand and looked down to see the watery green liquid. "Try it, Kagome-chan, its good."

Looking around, she saw what looked like dead bodies surrounding her and she gazed back at the vegetable juice. Glancing at a guy with glasses and spiky black hair, he gave her the thumbs-up, saying that it was fine, and she slowly raised the glass to her lips, drinking the remaining liquid. The taste remained in her mouth for a while and she stared thoughtfully at the ground.

"...it really isn't that bad... what's in it, Inui-sempai?" she inquired and Fuji smiled. That was, he _was_ smiling until the aftertaste kicked in and Kagome paled.

"Kagome-chan...?" Fuji murmured worriedly and she scowled.

"...blech..!" she coughed, sticking her tongue out. "Never mind."

"Inui, where are the rest of the regulars?" another guy shouted and Inui, the spiky-haired kid with glasses, turned to acknowledge the captain.

"Ryoma should be back soon, he should've finished throwing up by now. The others will be back one after another in about 5 minute intervals afterwards."

The captain of the tennis team turned his gaze towards Kagome, questioning her without saying a single word. She sweat dropped and glanced at Fuji, who was now also giving her a similar gaze that said "Now that he brings it up, why _are _you here?"

"I just got transferred here today. I complained that my old school didn't care about their tennis team enough and barely noticed them."

"So Kagome-chan got kicked out" Fuji restated and Kagome flinched.

"You don't have to put it _that_ way..."

"Where are you going to stay? Don't you live in Tokyo?" Fuji asked and Kagome nodded.

"I'm boarding here, but because all of the girl's dorms are full..."

----A few seconds later----

"...oh... and the principal agreed with this?" Fuji inquired and Kagome nodded.

"Yep!"

"I... see..."

"Ahhh, don't worry Syusuke-kun, it'll be alright! I've been trained to defend myself if some perverted freak happens to try and do something to me!" Silently, in her mind, a certain monk appeared in her imagination. "_Very_ well trained" she added as an afterthought, almost bitterly. A strange cold feeling was emanating off of her and the surrounding people instinctly took a step back. "Well, I should probably go say 'hi' to my roommate now so I'll see you later Syusuke-kun!" she chirped as she waved and ran off.

"How do you know her?" Tezuka, the captain, asked and Fuji looked at him.

"Long story" he replied and walked off. "Not one that I'm particularly fond of, either" he thought to himself.

To Be Continued...


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: Heh heh... I forgot to write this last time, but I own none of the characters in my story until later on, but I don't like them. Don't sue!!!!

**Good Times**

Chapter 2

firefox369

-----Kagome-----

"HI!!!" I chirped as I slammed the door to my room open and was surprised to find it empty. "Huh?" 'No one's here...' Looking around, I noticed that there was a bunk bed, and that it was placed against the wall to my right. A desk was placed under the window on the side opposite of me and a drawer against the wall on my left. Clothes were all over the floor, one seemed to belong to a child while the other was a few sizes larger. "Two people, huh?"

"What are you doing in my room...?" a voice asked from behind me and I turned around to see none other than Ryoma. "Stalker."

"I'm not a stalker, it just so happens to be that I have to share a room with you, mini-'roh" I countered and he walked past me, setting his tennis bag on the ground.

"Joy..." he sighed.

"You don't sound very excited" I grumbled.

"Neither do you" he replied.

"Can't you see, mini-'Roh? I'm ecstatic..." I stated monotonously, dropping my tennis racket next to his tennis bag and leaving with my schoolbag. "Ugh… not I like I _want _to live in the same room with you. I'll never be able to marry now… By the way, why are you staying here? You're house isn't very far away from here."

"I have my reasons" he murmured, catching up and walking beside me. "Although for safety precautions, I think it's best if I didn't tell you."

"And why is that?"

"Staaaallllker."

"Right now it seems like you're the one stalking me, Echizen, considering you're the one following me."

"But I don't know where you live."

"I live in the same room you do, moron."

"I was there first."

"I was born into this world first."

"Doesn't matter, I was at this school first" he countered, running ahead of me, leaving me behind. I sighed and rolled my eyes

"Kids these days have no respect for their elders..." I sighed to myself.

"And you, Kagome-chan, are no exception" a voice commented.

"Syusuke-kun!" I whined, glaring at him.

"See what I mean? Glaring at your senpai. What are parents teaching their children these days?"

"I have more respect for my senpai than that brat" I retorted and he shrugged.

"He's treated as a senpai even from the upperclassmen just because he's well-known for his skills at tennis."

"So? Your point? I beat the living daylights out of him earlier today, with my eyes closed, mind you! With. My. Eyes. Clo- Oof! G-gomen!"

"And yet you can't even talk and walk at the same time without running into something... and apologizing to a wall... my, Kagome, how unusual you've become."

"Me? Unusual? This, spoken by a guy that never even opens his eyes! What has the world come to?!"

"What do you mean I never open my eyes?"

"It's true! You never- oh... they're open..." I mumbled, tugging on his cheeks. "Syusuke onii-san should open his eyes more often. It makes him more kawaii."

"Ow!" he hissed and I let go, walking off as he rubbed his cheeks and he followed me. "What do you mean?"

"Onii-san is already popular with the ladies, even with his eyes closed."

"No I'm not."

"If you opened your eyes more often then onii-chan will be even more popular, and finding a girl you like won't be hard."

"What are you trying to say?"

"Oh, come on... Ryoma-kun is getting a girlfriend faster than you are and you're older than him!" I exclaimed and he looked at me uncertainly. "If that were to happen, wouldn't onii-chan feel inferior?"

"...no, not really. Momo-senpai might but I wouldn't."

I sighed and waved my hand in the air in a show of defeat. "Okay, okay, I get it. I won't talk about onii-chan's popularity or his relationships with women anymore." Afterwards, I walked off and entered my own classroom, standing at the front of the room because I didn't have a seat, while Syusuke-kun continued to walk down the corridor to a nearby classroom.

---------Fuji---------

As the last bell rang, I sat down in my desk and pulled out my history book, skimming over what we were supposed to learn about today ahead of time. When the lecture actually started, I began to take notes, not really comprehending what was going on. My mind was not focused, and I often found myself spelling words wrong.

'...Kagome's hiding something...' I erased a word and rewrote it. 'She's hiding something from me otherwise she wouldn't be here right now, in this school. She would still be in Tokyo.'

I set my pencil down and stared out the window. The sky had gotten cloudy and overcast, seeming as if it was going to rain but the weather forecast said that it wouldn't until tomorrow. Then again, you can't really trust weather forecasts very much. The wind was growing, and I was relieved when I realized that even if afternoon practice was canceled, we'd still have gotten an hour of practice in.

'What do you not want me to know? Why do you want me to find a girlfriend now of all times...? Unless...' I felt my blood run cold and the color drained from my face as I tensed. '...no, that can't be it... can it...?'

"Fuji, are you alright?" the teacher asked and everyone turned to look at me. I slowly nodded my head.

"H-hai."

"Why don't you go to the nurse?"

"I'm fine, really..."

He gave me one last uncertain gaze before facing the blackboard again and writing, the occasional screech ringing in my ears as the chalk was rubbed against the black slate. I lowered my head and rested it on the desk, calming down.

"Hey, Inuyasha! Let me go!" a voice shouted and I recognized it as Kagome's. My head shot up and I watched as a boy dressed in red clothing with bleached, silver hair and a baseball cap dragged Kagome down the hallway. She looked frustrated, but also seemed to know the boy.

"Inuyasha! SIT!" she shouted as she was out of sight and a loud crash was heard. There was the sound of stomping and Kagome stormed back to her classroom, slamming the door shut behind her. There was a red blur and banging was heard.

"Get out here, Kagome!" he shouted.

"I wouldn't even if it meant saving my own life you stupid mutt!!!!"

There was a bright flash of light and the boy screamed "WIND SCAR!" before there was a loud crash and screams echoed across the hallway. "Get over here Kagome!"

"No! Inuyasha, let me go! Abuse! Abuse! Harassment! Sexual Harassment!!! PERVERT, GET YOUR HANDS OFF O' ME!" she screamed as she was once again in view.

"Ow! Stupid girl! Stop yanking my hair, dammit!"

"Don't make me use the 'S' word, Inuyasha!"

"Fine! Stay in this stupid place, but I'm picking you up after school!!!!"

"Deal! Buh-bye Inuyasha!" Kagome cooed, turning him around and shoving him in the proper direction before going back to her classroom. There was a squeak and the door to our classroom slammed open. "G-gomen... but... I think... we need a hospital..." she laughed timidly. I could now see the state that she was in and noticed that she was trembling.

"What happened?" the teacher asked, oblivious to what had just occurred.

"M-my class..." she stammered, pointing, and everyone shot out of their seats to see what had happened except for me. I was worried.

"Will you be okay, Kagome?" I asked when we were the only two in the room and she looked at me before giving me a nod.

"Just a little bit surprised that he showed up is all. He wasn't supposed to come until next week..." she replied, calming down. "Not until... next week" she repeated, leaning against the wall and sliding onto her butt. "I'm not... ready yet…"

I sighed and walked over to her, placing my hand on her head. She hadn't been like this since... not since at the orphanage where I first met her. I wasn't adopted, I knew that for a fact. I also wasn't sure if Kagome was also adopted or if she just ran away from home and ended up staying there for a while only to be found by her parents later on. Whatever the case was, I hadn't seen her in this state since her first days there, alone and the only child at the orphanage. It didn't seem like that long ago, and in reality, it really wasn't. The last time I saw her at the orphanage was just one or two years ago, the first time was three or four years ago. She was always running away and finding refuge there, and sometimes I wondered if she ran away just for the purpose of being found again.

She raised her head to look at me and I felt my lips curve into a soft, comforting smile.

"Would you like some juice, Kagome-chan?" I asked and she gave a shaky, but genuine laugh.

"Only if Echizen is the one to buy it. Then his juice money won't be spent on himself alone."

"Hai, hai... he does buy a little bit too much. I find myself wondering how he can possibly fit it all in that stomach of his. He must have to go to the bathroom hundreds of times a day."

She laughed again and I took my hand off of her head, satisfied that she was feeling better. I was suddenly knocked over and I felt Kagome sitting on top of me. Her hand reached for my cheek and she pulled on it.

"Onii-chan is so kind!!!" she laughed, tugging on it and I winced, repeating 'ow' over and over again. "Onii-chan, onii-chan, onii-chan!" she chirped and I sighed, giving up and letting her tug on my cheeks as much as she wanted. There was no way to avoid it, anyways. If I didn't let her do it now then she would do it later on. It also seemed to calm her for some reason, so I let her do whatever she wanted with it for now.

"Oh! Onii-chan?"

"Hm?"

"You're cheeks are red."

"..." 'Why do I make myself go through all of this abuse...? I don't know how much more my poor cheek can handle...' I sighed again as she let go and got off of me and I sat up, looking at her. She stared blankly at the ground, thinking about something. I poked her cheek and she looked at me.

"Hm?"

'Nothing… never mind." 'She seems normal enough…'

"Don't worry, I'll be fine in a few minutes, just let me sit here for a while longer…" she whispered and I nodded, watching as she stared out into the distance, deep in thought. Her hand rose to her chest and squeezed part of her uniform until her knuckles were white.

"…Scared…?" I asked and she looked at me, a nervous smile on her face.

"H-hai, a little."

"About what?"

"What'll happen when I leave after school today… I know that Inuyasha won't do anything to me, so it's not that… it's just… kind of nervous…" She looked at me, smiling, before standing up and stretching. "Well, I think I should go and start helping my classmates now, goodbye, onii-chan."

I watched her leave the classroom and couldn't help but feel that she said 'goodbye' a little too sadly.

'You're not going away forever, are you Kagome…?' Dismissing that thought, I got up and rubbed my sore cheek. She had used a little less strength this time, but it still hurt… If she kept it up my cheek would eventually become as stretchy as a rubber band… I shivered at the thought. It wasn't exactly one of the most pleasant ones I've ever had, and it also scared me a little.

'Hope she doesn't pull on my cheek as much as she did today… if she does…'

To Be Continued...


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I Own Nothing!!!!!!

I know I got a few reviews saying that the last chapter was really confusing, but bear with me, here. Everything will make sense in due time. Afterall, what would be the point of the story if all the secrets were told in the first two chapters?

**Good Times**

Chapter 3

firefox369

-----Kagome-----

As the last bell rang and everyone left, I stayed alone in the classroom for a few minutes, gathering my nerves before standing up and walking back to the dorm room. I unlocked it and stepped inside, dropping my schoolbag on the ground with a sigh. My eyes widened when I realized that there was another guy in the room, standing with his shirt halfway off. I blinked. Once. Twice.

"Who're you?" we both stated at the same time and I was surprised at the deepness of his voice. He hissed and my eyes lit up. "You're that one guy! The guy that ran past me after you drank the juice, hissing!"

"What are you doing in my room?" he hissed and I smiled.

"Oh, I just moved in here today!" I replied and he pulled his shirt down, staring at me. I noticed and returned his gaze with one of my own. So, he wanted to have a staring contest with me? I'd show him how long I can stare at something. After glaring at each other for about thirty seconds, he looked away with a hiss to show his displeasure. I then remembered about what Inuyasha had said and I looked at the door, expecting him to barge through the door at any moment, shouting his head off. I allowed myself to go limp and shut my eyes, leaving the room, much to my newly found roommate's surprise.

I waited next to the tennis courts, the wind whipping through my hair. Tennis practice had been canceled and I could hear the distant rumbling of thunder. Rain was going to hit within the next 24 hours. I stared at the tennis courts, imagining people playing on it's surface and rallying. A ref was on the raised seat, calling the score. All of that disappeared, though, when a flash of red caught my attention and I looked at Inuyasha.

"Ready, Kagome?" he asked and I slowly nodded. I climbed onto his back and he ran off towards a newly found well that was close by. That was why I had moved here. I couldn't leave the feudal era forever, and the last school I was at kicked me out because of my poor attendance record. I had no choice but to come here, no other schools would accept me. He raced to the shrine and I jumped into the well. A pink light engulfed us and Inuyasha hopped out into the middle of the woods next to another village. There were no shards left, and Inuyasha said that he would give me a week in order to prepare for the final battle. He only gave me a day.

"Where is everyone?" I asked and Sango and Miroku stepped out of the underbrush moments later. I wasn't ready... I didn't want to... I was scared, what if I failed and the jewel was wished upon by Naraku?

"It'll be alright, Kagome, you usually aren't like this. What happened to you?" Sango asked worriedly, giving me a bow and a quiver of arrows and I looked away. I already knew that Sango was going to die, the Sango in my time had told me, the reincarnation of the Sango in front of me had told me everything that was going to happen in the battle, but I was still worried. What if something else happens? What if I change history?

The first demon suddenly appeared and I readied my bow as Inuyasha sliced it in half, now in his battle stance. Everyone else was prepared, just as I was. Now all we had to wait for was Naraku.

-------Fuji--------

"Where's Kagome-chan?" I asked and Kaidoh looked at me.

"The girl? She left to somewhere, I don't know where, but she left."

"Tell Ryoma he owes her a can of juice" I stated, shutting the door and walking down the hall to my dorm room. Inui had given the regulars a 'new and improved' training regimen, which, on most days, required practice until late at night no matter what the weather was. I plopped down onto the chair beside the desk, pulling out my homework and beginning to work on it. Kagome would come back soon, otherwise where would she go? Where would she stay at night? I was wrong.

Kagome never came back that night.

I went to the early morning practice, despite the wind.

Kagome wasn't there, so I told myself that she was just sleeping in and would be at school, so I went to her class during the lunch break.

Kagome wasn't at school, so I convinced myself that she was in her room, sick. I went to her dorm room after school and asked Ryoma about her.

Kagome never came back home the day before, and still hadn't come back.

Now I was getting worried. Where had she gone to? I grabbed a coat and was about to walk out of the dorm building when I saw a figure standing in the rain, clothes ragged and dyed red. She raised her head, her gray eyes staring straight into my blue ones, and she dropped to her knees. What had happened to her?

I raced out of the building and to her side, Ryoma following me. The kid was worried, too, and that was a rare sight to see.

"Kagome?" I whispered but got no response. "Are you going to leave again?"

She shook her head.

"I asked the chef to make your favorite food."

Nothing.

"Ryoma bought you a can of juice."

"I did?"

"Yes."

"When?"

"Now."

"...hai..." he sighed and walked away, shoulders hunched against the cold rain and wind. I shook her and still no response.

"You can pull my cheek as much as you want?"

Nothing.

"...Kaidoh says he loves you." She tensed and I knew that was the wrong thing to say. "Kidding! Kidding!"

She moved her arm and opened her palm to reveal a glowing pink stone.

"This... this stupid rock ruined my entire life..." she whispered, clenching her other hand in a fist so tightly that it began to bleed.

"What do you mean, Kagome-chan?"

She shut her eyes and got to her feet. "I'll be right back..."

"But you said you weren't going to leave anymore."

"Then come with me if you don't trust me, onii-chan."

"You'll get sick."

"Don't care."

"You'll get pneumonia."

"Don't care."

"You could die."

"Don't care."

I began to get frustrated and poked her forehead. "Think of all the people that are going to miss you if you leave!"

"My mom, grandpa and Souta. Three people."

"You're being disagreeable."

"That's the point."

"...I'll disown you."

A tiny laugh escaped her lips and she jabbed my chest with her pointer finger. "How can you always stay so happy, onii-chan?" she asked and I smiled, eyes shut now.

"Because I can."

"You're too kind."

"I know."

"Stupid prodigy..." she mumbled, giving a watery laugh and I took her wrist, leading her into the dorm building. She ignored the stares she got because of one- she was a girl. two- her uniform was white. three- she was wet. And four- she was covered in blood. I led her to her room and I watched as she just stood there, not moving. When I finally asked, the response I got was surprising.

"...I don't have any spare clothing at the moment..." she whispered. Ryoma and Kaidoh both froze and slowly turned to look at her. A pile of clothing was soon thrown at her and I shoved her into the bathroom, slamming the door shut behind her. "...oh..." she murmured, and the sound of running water soon met our ears.

"I don't want to room with a girl. She'll be a bother" Ryoma stated. "How am I supposed to change?"

"Stop your complaining" Kaidoh grumbled, "she _walked in _while I was changing yesterday."

When the sound of running water turned off a while later, I was satisfied that she didn't die and began to walk away.

"Where're you going, Fuji?" Echizen asked and I looked at him.

"Yuuta's coming home today" I replied simply and was about to shut the door behind me when I heard a coughing noise from inside the bathroom. My eyes opened in alarm and I looked back at the bathroom. 'That better just be because of a cough and not-'

"Onii...chan..." Kagome coughed and I saw her stumble out of the door. I bolted over to her and held her up straight, looking her over. Her coughing stopped and I gave her a confused look. A playful grin formed on her lips and I realized that it was all a joke. "Gomen, couldn't help it!!!" she laughed and I scowled, but relaxed. Releasing a sigh, I finally left the room and started to make my way home.

------Kagome------

"You think I went a little too far?" I questioned and my roommates looked at me.

"Probably" Ryoma mumbled and I scowled.

"Always have to criticize, don't you, mini-'roh?"

"I call it advice."

"What you just answered wasn't advice, it was criticism. And the question asked was a rhetorical question."

"Then you shouldn't have asked it, Sttaaaaallllllker."

"Ugh! You little twit! I'm going to kill you and wait for you to be reincarnated, then kill you again and again and again until I've killed you enough times to satisfy myself!" I growled, tackling him to the ground and clenching my hand into a fist. I swung it towards his face and he flinched, squeezing his eyes shut. I giggled and yanked on his cheek.

"Wha' awe oo doin'?" he demanded and I let go, poking it instead.

"Learn to respect your elders, kid" I stated and he scowled.

"I already do, you're just an exception, stalker."

"Do you think I _enjoy_? Living in the same room as you?! If I could I'd move back to the other side of Tokyo and be done!"

"'If you could'...?" Echizen repeated and I scowled.

"None of your business."

"Oooh, now I'm curious."

"God! You act just like Souta when you're not trying to act like the other guy I know with the ice cube shoved up his ass."

"Other guy?"

"None of your business!"

"Just shut up! I'm trying to sleep!" Kaidoh hissed, glaring, and I returned it.

"Oh, so now _you're_ trying to pick a fight with me, huh?! Bring it, kitty! I can take you on any day!" I shouted and that got him annoyed enough to hop out of his bed and stand right in front of me, glaring.

"Viper, woman. VI. PER."

"I can't believe that I'm stuck rooming with a stupid, short-tempered kitty that doesn't stop hissing and a stupid donkey that drinks juice all day instead of eating grass."

"Excuse me?!" they both hollered at the same time and I smirked.

"Hit a sore spot, did I?" I taunted and the door swung open.

"What in the world is going on here?!" a black-haired kid shouted and I recognized him as the vice-captain of the tennis team. A red-head appeared behind him, looking as if he had just woken up from a nap, and my eyes lit up.

"Eiji-kun!!!" I exclaimed and he blinked twice before looking at me. His eyes shot open.

"Kagome-sama!!!" he shouted just as gleefully and tackled me in a hug like a little kid. I somehow managed to stay on my feet, but got knocked into a nearby wall.

"-sama?" Oishi, the vice-captain, questioned but Eiji ignored him.

"It's been so long, Kagome-sama! How have you been?!"

"-sama...?" Echizen repeated and I glanced at him.

"Oh, you didn't know? I was the one that taught Eiji acrobatics play" I stated innocently and Eiji let go of me.

"W-what?"

"Kagome-sama was the one that taught me acrobatics play a few years back, around three or four years ago."

"She did?"

"Yep!"

"What else do you know how to do, Kagome?" Ryoma questioned, trying to hide his curiosity.

"None of your business, shrimp. You'll find out when I want you to find out."

"You're keeping too many secrets for your own good, lady."

"I don't care, though, so it's okay!"

"No, it's not."

"Like I care what you think, brat!"

"Stalker!"

"Shut up, you two" Kaidoh hissed.

"_You_ shut up, Kitten!!!" we both shouted at the same time and Oishi gave a nervous laugh.

"Oooookay..." he laughed, a little scared.

To Be Continued...


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: Own nothing!!! again.

Okay, for those of you that are reading the Complicated Life of Kitsune Turned Miko, I'm sooo sorry that it's taking me so long to update!!!!! I'll try to have the next chapter up within the next week or so but I can't promise anything!!!!

Good Times

Chapter 4

firefox369

_Dark... It was dark out... why was I alone? Where did everyone go...? why was it so cold...?_

_"Onii-chan!" I called but received no response. "Onii-chan!!"_

_I heard the sound of a footstep behind me and I turned around to see nothing. Getting scared, I quickened my footsteps, running into something as I did so. I hit the ground and winced when I scraped my elbow. The pain... it hurt... Where was onii-chan...? Where did he go...?_

_"You stupi' brat! Tha' hurt!" a voice slurred and a group of early twenties, late teens were looking at me, supporting another man that looked extremely intoxicated. The drunk guy pulled me to my feet, his hold extremely painful, and I whimpered. He reeked of alcohol, so much, in fact, that I wanted to barf._

_"Onii-chan...!" I whined, trembling in fear, and looked around frantically for a way to escape. Giving up, I eventually stomped on the man's foot. He howled in pain and I made a run for it, racing off as fast as I could. I was suddenly knocked over and I skidded, skinning my knees as I yelped in pain and surprise. "Onii-chan!!!" I screamed as I curled in a ball and was beaten by the drunk man in front of me, but deep down, I knew that he wasn't coming. He would never come. Why would he? He was dead, after all... he had died long ago..._

My eyes snapped open and I shot up. Looking at the alarm clock, the bright red numbers glowed 4:18. I groaned and plopped back down, shutting my eyes and taking deep breaths. I needed to calm down...

----Kagome----

"Syusuke-kun!" I panted as I caught up to him in the hallways. He looked at me. "I'm sorry about yesterday, I didn't mean to worry you so much!"

"I forgive."

"Oh, how's Yuuta?"

"Good."

"Hmph. You're not talking enough."

"I'm sorry."

"Oniiiiii-chaaaaaaannnnn!" I whined and he laughed.

"I just can't stay mad at you, Kagome" he sighed as he sat down and I realized that I had followed him to his classroom.

"What's that supposed to mean?" I questioned as I sat down in the desk in front of him. He cupped his chin in his hand, elbow propped against the table, and he stared at me. I copied him and pouted, glaring at him.

"Heh" he chuckled with a smile, poking my cheek with his other hand. "Baaaaaaaka."

"Onii-chaaaan!" I whined again and he laughed. I stood up, frustrated, and smacked the back of his head.

"Ow!"

"Tch. I'm obviously not going to be getting any answers out of _you_" I grumbled and I could feel his happy gaze on my back as I left. Right after I got out of the room I was tackled from behind and knocked to the ground.

"Hoi hoi!!!"

"God, Eiji! I thought you would be a little more mature than this!!!" I shouted, squirming underneath him. He got off of me and helped me up, a huge grin plastered on his face.

"Kagome-dono, are you going to join the tennis team?"

"Nope."

His smile disappeared and he gave me a crushed look. "Ahhh...? Why not...?"

"I already played the captain of the girl's team and no offense, but she's worse than Ryoma, and that's pretty bad. I don't want to join a team like that."

"Oh. Why don't you ask to join the boy's team?"

"I'm not a boy, Eiji, I can't join the boy's team."

"Try" he commanded and I scowled.

"No. I've given up on tennis."

"But you're so good at it! I'm sure that even Tezuka-senpai would have a hard time playing against you..."

"I've quit tennis, Eiji. I quit tennis long ago."

"But you played against Echizen."

"He annoyed me. I won't play on any team anymore, you can't make me."

"But-"

"I've made my decision, now don't worry about me quitting and just play tennis like you usually do."

"H-hai..."

-------------------------------------

_"Where's your mommy? Onii-chan will bring you home" he said softly and I looked at him. He looked a year older than I did with a kind, smiling face._

_'I wish there were more people like him..." I thought to myself and he released a sigh, hugging me._

_"Onii-chan's here, you don't have to cry anymore..." he whined and I gripped his shirt, making him dirtier. He responded by patting my head and I let go, staring at the ground. He squatted and looked up at me. "How old are you?"_

_"T-ten..." I stammered._

_"Then I really am your onii-chan! I'm eleven!!!" he shouted happily. "Now, where's your mommy?"_

_"I don't know...!" I mumbled and he laughed nervously._

_"O-oh... okay..."_

---------------Kagome----------------

"Don't tell me you have a refrigerator and no food in it..." I growled and Ryoma looked at me.

"We have a fridge?"

"Yes! You have a fridge!"

"Oh."

"Ugh... I'm going shopping then. Anything you want?"

"Juice."

"How 'bout you, kitty?" I asked and Kaidoh looked at me, glaring. "Dog food? Why in the world would a kitty want dog food? Whatever, what brand? Alpo?"

"I don't want dog food, woman."

"Fine, I'll choose myself. I'll be back with your juice in a little bit, Ryoma."

"'Kay."

I grabbed my money and walked out of the room, humming to myself. I made my way out of the school and down the street in amazingly high spirits. I surprised myself sometimes, I never thought I would be able to be like this the day after... I shoved that thought out of my head and entered the grocery store. I grabbed a basket and wandered down the aisles, picking up random things and setting them in. Ryoma's juice was soon added, along with a few cups of Ramen noodles. When the dog food finally came into view, I just stood there and stared, trying to decide which one to buy.

"...Alpo...Purina...Caesar... so many..."

"Can I help you with anything?" a guy asked and I turned around to see an employee.

"Umm... actually, I have a very, very, fat cat..." I replied.

"The cat food is over there" he stated, pointing to the shelf a few feet away.

"No, it's a very weird cat. He really likes dog food" I informed and the worker looked at me in a weird way.

"Ummm, then I don't really know how to help you..." Shrugging, I grabbed a can of Alpo and stuck it in the basket.

"Well, thanks anyway!" I chirped. Satisfied, I made my way to a cash register and paid for the items I bought, successfully filling one grocery bag and that was all. Taking the bag, I left the store and made my way home, smiling even more. "Kaidoh would kill me if he knew I called him a very, very fat cat that likes dog food..." I laughed to myself.

Sensing malice in the air, I stopped and looked down an alleyway. My miko senses were tingling. Deciding to check it out, I walked into the alley and was instantly pinned to the wall once I was fully engulfed in the shadows, a knife at my throat.

"Scream and I'll slit your neck" someone growled and I felt my anger boiling up when I realized he made me drop all of my groceries.

"Why you little- I paid a lot for that crap!" I shouted and he pressed the knife against my throat. Scowling, I released an annoyed sigh and folded my arms, looking away. "This is stupid." I felt a hand on my butt and my eyes widened. "Damn perverted monk!!!" I screamed, shoving him off and kicking him in the face. "Oh... you're not Miroku..."

I was grabbed from behind and found my arms held tightly. Giving another annoyed sigh, I stomped on the newly found captor's foot. He howled in pain and I ran, hopping over the guy that I kicked in the face. His hand wrapped around my ankle and I was pulled to the ground with a thud.

"Ow! That _hurt_ dammit!" I shouted and began kicking. He restrained my legs while the other guy had my both my wrists and I scowled more. What the hell was wrong with these guys? They must've been deprived of love as a child, the damn perverts. "Hey! Stop right there, mister! Don't you _dare_ move your hands up further! I'll kick your face in!"

"Sure got a feisty one this time, boss."

"Get off of me!!!!" I shouted, squirming.

"Dammit, shut up!" the boss shouted, punching me so hard that the wind got knocked out of me. This was starting turn a little similar to back then... Too similar, and I found myself beginning to tremble, lost in that terrible memory...

---

"_Onii-chan!!!" I screamed as I curled in a ball and was beaten by the drunk man in front of me, but deep down, I knew that he wasn't coming. _

_"Onii-chan! Onii-chan!" the man mocked in a high-pitched tone. "Annoying brat, screaming won't solve anything!"_

_There was a childish grunt and the pain stopped. Cracking an eye open I saw a brown-haired kid that looked a year older than me standing over me, protecting me. Who was this kid? He was knocked aside and the man raised his fist to hit me again. I scrambled to my feet, trying to get away but I was struck down before I could get very far. "ONII-CHAN!!!!" I sobbed. _

---

Except no one was here to save me this time, and I was alone. A single tear rolled down my face and I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to escape from the memory. I wasn't about to let this happen without a fight!

"I said get off of me!!!" I snarled, trying to pull my legs free. If my legs were free then I could beat take care of them with ease. "Stupid... little... Stop touching my butt, STUPID HOUSHI!! ONCE YOU GET REINCARNATED I'LL KILL YOU!!!"

My arms were suddenly released and there was a soft 'thud' as the person fell over. I sat up and grabbed the nearest item, which was the can of dog food, and slammed it against the guy that had my legs. I hopped to my feet and looked at the dented can.

"...this was soooo expensive for a can of dog food..." I whined and I noticed more people stepping out of the shadows, surrounding me. Where was the guy that saved me? WHERE THE HELL WAS THE GUY THAT SAVED ME?!

Snorting in distaste, I looked at my hands. Looks like I had no choice but to use _that_. The first person lunged and I molded my ki to make a bow, and then an arrow. Shooting at the man, I saw that it went straight through him and burst in a flash of light as it hit the wall.

"What the- Oof!" I grunted as I was thrown into the wall. A hand covered my mouth and I bit it as hard as I could. "Stupid... stupid, stupid, stupid!!!" I shouted, annoyed, and watched as the others charged, attacking at different times. I dodged a few, blocked others, and eventually got hit in the ribs. "Tch. Annoying."

My arms were held down all of a sudden and my eyes widened when I saw a fist flying towards my face. It never connected, though, and I saw brown hair in front of me. The guy was suddenly yanked forwards and my wonderful savior punched him in the face, knocking him out. I watched as the man fell, blinking.

"Sugoi!!!" I gasped, stomping on the guy that was holding me again. When I turned around I saw the glint of a knife and gasped when it was thrust towards the person I now recognized as Syusuke. He dodged it and kicked the person in the back of the head, successfully defeating all of the opponents. "Sugoi! Sugoi, sugoi, sugoi!!!!!" I giggled, skipping in front of him. I froze, terrified when I saw his eyes. 'S-scary...!'

"Thank you for escorting her to the store. I'll be taking her back now" he stated before grabbing my wrist like he usually did.

_----------------------------_

_"Ow! That hurt dammit!" I shouted and began kicking. He restrained my legs while the other guy had my both my wrists and I scowled more. What the hell was wrong with these guys? They must've been deprived of love as a child, the damn perverts. "Hey! Stop right there, mister! Don't you dare move your hands up further! I'll kick your face in!"_

_"Sure got a feisty one this time, boss."_

_"Get off of me!!!!" I shouted, squirming. _

_"Dammit, shut up!" the boss shouted, punching me so hard that the wind got knocked out of me._

-----------------------

"No!!!" I screamed, struggling.

"Kagome! Kagome, it's me!!"

"Let go of me!!! Let go!!" He obeyed, shocked, and I stepped back, staring at the ground with wide eyes. He took a step towards me and I flinched, trembling. I turned and began to bolt down the alley, not knowing where I was going. I was grabbed from behind and I struggled, trying to break free. "Let me go!!!!"

"Hey, shhh, onii-chan's here, see? Everything's al-"

"LET GO OF ME!!!"

"It's me, Syusuke. Come on, Kagome, I know you know who I am!"

"Let go!!"

"Shhh, Kagome... onii-chan's here... Onii-chan scared off all the scary people, see, Kagome-chan? all the scary people are gone, onii-chan beat them up for you!"

"I-I'm scared..." I whimpered pitifully, shaking. "Scared...!"

"Shhh, it's alright. Syusuke onii-chan is here... everything's alright..." I collapsed into him, knowing that I wouldn't be able to escape, and trembled in his comforting hold. "...everything's alright... you're safe now..."

'What's wrong with me...? I should be used to this... what's wrong with me...? Why am I so scared...?'

I coughed and his hold tightened. My lungs... they hurt... my entire body felt like weights, I was so heavy. Shutting my eyes, I felt myself going limp.

-------------------------

_The man kicked but I didn't feel anything except a mass amount of pressure against me, holding me tightly. There was a grunt in my ear. Because I was terrified of what it was, I cried harder._

_"Shhh..." the voice whispered softly. "Onii-chan's here now, don't cry... Shhhh..."_

_A few minutes later, the weight disappeared and I was lifted to my feet. I wiped my tears with my dirty hands and accidentally smeared mud across my face, hiccupping and sobbing all the while. The boy gave a relieved sigh when he saw that I wasn't injured._

-------------------------

To Be Continued...


	5. Chapter 5

---Kagome---

I woke up in a bed, a pair of dark, violet eyes staring at me.

"AAAH!!!!!" I screamed as I punched him and he hit the ground, whimpering. I shot to my feet, staring at the people in the room suspiciously.

"Ow... I feel sorry for you, Ryoma, rooming with her..." the guy grumbled, rubbing his cheek.

"Your face was the one an inch from hers, Momo-senpai. It's not her fault you got punched, but your own stupidity" Ryoma commented and I smiled, relaxing. Looking around the room, I noticed that many Seigaku regulars were in the room, including, surprisingly, Tezuka.

"G-gomen, Momo-senpai..." I apologized, bowing, and hit my head on a wooden beam on the bed above me as I stood up straight again. I winced and whimpered as I held the injury, squatting. "Ow..." I whined, tears of pain welling up.

"Not the brightest girl in the world..." Inui stated and I glared at him. "Getting attacked on the way back from shopping for groceries."

"Shut up, four eyes. I could kick your butt any day!" I shouted. "Wait. How did I get back?"

"Fuji-senpai carried you" Oishi answered and my eyes lit up as I looked at Syusuke.

"Really, now? Onii-chan brought me back?" I teased.

"Hai" he replied, keeping the smile that almost never seemed to disappear from his face. "You are quite heavy."

My cheeks flamed and I hopped off the bed and tackled him to the ground. "I am not, onii-chan!" I argued.

"Yes, you are" he grunted.

"Take it back, take it back, take it back!!!" I commanded, glaring at him as I sat on his stomach, crossing my arms and refusing to move. I squeaked as he sat up with ease and I fell off. My glare still made it to him as I landed on my back and he stared at me.

"Onii-chan will _not_ take it back" he refused and I growled in distaste, sitting up and giving him a death glare.

"If you had a stupid rosary like Inuyasha I would 'sit' you soooo many times..." I mumbled under my breath and he looked at me, confused.

"Did you say something, Kagome-chan?"

"No" I grumbled, getting up. "Onii-chan is so annoying sometimes."

"So are you."

"Baaaaaka" I huffed and I was suddenly lifted off the ground and I placed on the bed.

"Don't call your onii-chan a 'baka', Kagome. So much for 'respecting your elders'."

"I'll call onii-chan a 'baka' as much as I want, Baaaakaaa!"

He sighed in defeat and patted my head. "Okay... okay... I give up..."

I giggled in joy and watched as he left the room. Eiji glanced at him as he left, following him soon after as the others tried to make a conversation with me. I answered using short sentences and a slightly frigid tone. Why wouldn't I? All the men I knew well had some sort of major problem except for Syusuke and Eiji. Inuyasha was disagreeable, Miroku was a pervert, Sesshoumaru had an icicle up his butt, Naraku had some mental problems, along with all of his incarnations, and my dad was dead, along with my older brother that I never got to know.

"Where's my juice?" Ryoma finally asked and I glanced at him.

"In the alley. Probably inconsumable now."

"Oh."

-------Eiji--------

I saw Fuji walking back to his room and I ran to catch up with him, curious. He faced me, smiling, and I decided to ask him the question that had been tugging at my mind for a while now.

"How did you meet Kagome-sama?" I questioned and he thought for a few moments as he stepped into his room. I followed.

"I met her when I was eleven" he replied simply and I nodded to show that I was listening. "She was getting beaten up by these drunkards and so I stopped them."

"Why does she call you onii-chan?" This was another question that I was confused about.

"That's what she was screaming before I saved her, so I guess I took on that name."

"Ah." Walking closer, I noticed a strange look on his face and I smirked. "You _like_ her, ne?" I teased and he looked at me.

"I do?"

"Your face shows it all."

"Huh."

"Hiding emotions won't work much longer, Fuji!" I poked and he picked up his tennis bag, hitting me over the head with it before walking away. "Hey, where are you going?"

"To practice. It's almost time, after all" he replied and I looked at my watch. My eyes bulged.

"CRAP!!!!"

-----Kagome------

I picked up my racket and a tennis ball after everyone had gone to practice and stepped out of the dorm, shutting the door behind me. I reached in my pocket, satisfied that I had my keys, and made my way to a wall on the opposite side of the school from the tennis courts. I didn't want anyone to see me, at least not see what I was about to do. After I arrived at a wall that I deemed smooth enough, I served at it, adding my miko energy to the ball. It hit the wall and bounced back, flying much faster than when I served it. I returned it and it slammed against the wall, once again picking up speed. My anger was the only thing that kept me going.

"I hate you..." I whispered, hitting it again. "I hate you" I panted. My ki flared and I let my anger control me for one hit, and as the ball came flying towards me, I smacked it as hard as I could, concentrating my emotions into it. It connected with the wall with a deafening crash and the wall cracked as the tennis ball dropped to the ground. "I hate you!" I snarled, glaring at the tennis ball as I squeezed the jewel hidden under my shirt.

"The why do you still play?" a voice asked and I turned to see Yuuta.

"What are you doing here?" I asked, surprised.

"Am I not allowed to visit my own brother anymore, Kagome?" he countered innocently, going to the wall and picking the ball up. Glancing at the wall, he smirked at the dent and cracks made by the tennis ball. "A little angry, huh?"

"I'm feeling better now."

"That's good."

"...how is your sister doing?"

"Good, always attracting men, as usual."

I laughed and he tossed the tennis ball to me. I caught it and he stood a few feet to my right, watching the wall. I served the ball and it bounced back towards him. He hit it back and I scowled when I recognized the move as the rising shot. I hit it back and he sighed, returning it to the wall.

"Okay, okay, I won't use it."

"Better not, Yuuta."

"Commanding lately, aren't you?"

"Oh, shut up" I smirked and he scowled.

"Don't tell me that you're going to use _that_..."

"Oh, yes I am."

"That's not fair!"

"It is to me" I laughed and I hit it, adding a tiny spin to it. He returned it with ease. "But because you're not using the rising shot, I won't use it."

"Stop contradicting yourself!"

I caught the tennis ball and sighed, turning to leave. "Oh, Yuuta, you're brother's at the tennis courts. Practice is going to be over in ten minutes so I suggest you hurry up."

"'kay."

I waited until his footsteps had completely disappeared before looking at the tennis ball in my hand and sighing in defeat.

"What did you want me to do, father...? What were you planning back then...?" I whispered to myself and bounced the tennis ball one last time before walking to the back of the school. People rarely went there because it was far away from all the school buildings, courts and fields that they used in classes or for after school activities.

I took off the shikon around my neck as I leaned on the trunk of a tree, facing away from the school. I slid to the ground as my fingers went over the smooth surface of the jewel and I gave a tiny smile. The jewel had ruined my life, but gave me a reason to live at the same time. Although I hated to leave Yura and the others, I was still glad that I came to Seigaku. Mini-'roh and the others came here, and I loved that. Although I knew I wouldn't be able to trust Kaidoh, Tezuka, Inui, Kawamura and Oishi for a while, I knew that we would eventually get along. That thought was one that I adored, and I didn't want to let it go.

"I knew that you'd be here, Kagome" Sango's voice stated and I turned to look at her.

"Hi, Sango. How's Nanjiroh doing?"

"Perverted as usual... but I don't get it, how did you meet my dad so long ago and still remember it? I would have forgotten about it by now if it were me..."

"You're dad is stubborn" I replied.

"That doesn't make any sense."

"Hard to explain."

"I bet. So... how's rooming with my little brother and his hissing friend?"

"Horrible." She smirked and I smiled, putting the necklace that jewel was connected to back on and hiding it under my shirt. "Stupid kitty doesn't know how to hiss correctly."

"You call Kaidoh a cat?" she asked, awed, and I nodded.

"He's too cute to be a snake" I commented, stretching.

"What about his stance?"

"Looks like one of those cat posters you see at Halloween, with the fur standing on end and stuff. Definitely not a snake. And when he hits the ball it looks like a cat swiping at a ball of yarn. Don't tell him I said that though, he'd kill me."

"But onii-chan would be there to protect you if he tried, right? Just like he did yesterday?" Sango asked huskily and my face flushed as I smacked the back of her head. She fell over onto her butt and laughed nonstop, pointing at my face. "Oh my god, your expression was priceless!"

"Shut up, Sango!" I shouted, embarrassed, and threw the tennis ball at her. She blocked it and kept laughing. "I'm not that weak, and I don't rely on him to protect me from everything!"

"Then why are you blushing?" she inquired and I wracked my brain for an answer.

"I-I, uh... that is... how did you know about yesterday?" I finally asked, trying to change the topic.

"I have my sources."

"Saaanggooooo!" I growled.

"Ryoma told me!" she squeaked, cowering, and I scowled. "So, judging from your reaction on my statement earlier-"

"IT'S NOT LIKE THAT!!!"

"What's 'not like that'?" I heard Syusuke ask from behind and I slowly turned my head to see him standing there, right behind me.

"Uh, Nothing!"

"Really..."

"Yeah! It's nothing, really!" I replied, nudging Sango with my elbow. "Agree and I won't tell anybody about _that_ incident" I hissed softly.

"Yeah, nothing of importance!" she agreed quickly.

"I see..." he said, letting it go. "My sister wanted you to come over tonight, apparently. Yuuta forgot to tell you because he said that you were busy playing tennis with him?"

"Oh, yeah, I was."

"I thought you gave it up."

"I gave up playing unless it's for leisure."

"Then would you like to play a game with me? For fun."

"Umm... I would feel really weird playing against you, onii-chan, with you being the prodigy and all..."

"Am I really that scary?"

I quickly nodded my head and he sighed, slinging his bag over his shoulder. He looked at Sango and smiled.

"Hello."

"H-hi..." she stammered and I giggled when a light blush appeared on her face. I stood up and picked up the racket and ball before waiting for Sango. She hopped to her feet, staring at Syusuke the entire time.

"Well, bye, onii-chan. I'll see you tonight, then" I stated with a wave and he waved back, watching me leave. When he was out of sight, I gave a mischievous grin at Sango. "Somebody has a cruuuuush!" I laughed and she blushed deeper. "Don't worry, lots of people like him, but usually end up going after Tezuka or Eiji once they see them" I informed.

"Tezuka and Eiji...?"

I led her to the school library and looked for a recent yearbook. Finding one, I pulled it of the shelf and flipped it open.

"Let's see here... Oh, here's Tezuka, stoic and emotionless as usual" I pointed out and Sango nodded. I flipped backwards a few pages and saw a flash of red hair. "Oh! There's Eiji. He's always hyper and happy. He's quite adorable, actually."

"Kagome-sama!"

"Speaking of which, here he comes now."

"Kagome-sama, Fuji-senpai's onee-chan is going to get frustrated if you don't leave soon! He told me to tell you that his onee-chan called, wondering where you were."

"What time is it?"

"6:30."

"Oh, I really should get going... by the way, Eiji, this is Sango."

"Hoi, hoi!"

"Sango, this is Eiji. Get acquainted for me, 'kay? Show her to Ryoma's room, because I'm pretty sure that she wants to visit him, too."

"Hai..."

I scowled when I knew that it was going to get nowhere, but didn't have enough time to worry about it. Syusuke's sister was SCARY when she was annoyed...!

To be Continued...


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: OWNS NOTHING!!!!!

Good Times

Chapter 6

firefox369

----Normal Point of View----

Kagome sat down at the dinner table, fidgeting nervously under Fuji's sister's gaze. From under the table, someone kicked her and she looked at Fuji, who gave her a comforting smile from beside her.

"You're late" the sister, Yumiko, growled and Kagome flinched.

"I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean to.." she whispered and Yumiko smiled.

"I was just kidding, I can't stay mad at you forever, you know that" Yumiko laughed and Kagome whimpered, relieved.

"I thought you were going to kill me..."

"Now why would I do that? Now start eating before the food gets even colder."

Kagome obeyed, placing different foods on her plate and eating, her chopsticks nervously picking at the food for a while before entering her mouth. After one particular longer time of poking at her food, Yuuta sighed.

"What's wrong with you now?" he asked, annoyed, and Kagome glanced over at Syusuke, who didn't seem to notice. A sadistic smirk formed on Yuuta's face and he opened his mouth to speak. His sister beat him to it.

"It's about yesterday, isn't it, Kagome?" she questioned and Kagome gave a tiny nod. "The fact that Syusuke here had to come to your rescue again."

"Onee-chan..." Fuji warned softly, "Kagome-chan was perfectly capable of protecting herself in the alleyway without my interference."

"Uh huh, sure. I believe you."

"Onee-chan..."

"Don't use that tone with me, Fuji, you know just as well as I do that Kagome would have been in serious trouble if you hadn't showed."

"I'm sure she would have figured out a way to-" Fuji started but was interrupted as Kagome slammed her chopsticks against the table and stood up, furious.

"Oh, so now I'm just an excuse to argue with eachother?" she growled.

"Sorry, I was the one to bring it up..." Yuuta mumble but Kagome scowled.

"It wasn't your fault, Yuuta, it was mine for being so weak" she spat, "always relying on people... putting them in danger..." Her eyes suddenly lost their luster, losing all the fire that had glowed so brightly within them just seconds before. "...killing them..." she whispered so softly that only Fuji could hear. "I hate it..."

"If you want to leave, at least finish your dinner" Yuuta commented as Kagome turned and she hesitated, staring at the food for a long time before looking away and sitting back down, staring at the floor. She picked at her food even more and ate very little of what was on her plate.

"Do you not like my cooking?" Yumiko questioned, trying to lighten the atmosphere, and Kagome shook her head.

"You're cooking is fine, Yumiko, it's me that's not..."

"Would you feel better if you could go back to your dorm?" she asked and Kagome nodded. She looked at Fuji. "You heard her, bro, send her back."

"But onee-chan, she-"

"I'll save you food, so just hurry up and-"

"I can go alone, I'll be fine. It's only a few blocks away..."

"See?"

"Fuji Syusuke, bring Kagome back to the dorms right now or I'll give you the slowest and most painful death I can think of!"

"H-Hai!" Fuji squeaked as he shot out of his seat, grabbing Kagome and sprinting out of the room. After the front door had shut, Yumiko let a small smile grace her features.

"I don't think that was a good idea, onee-chan..." Yuuta mumbled and Yumiko looked at him.

"Why not? She's a damsel in distress and she needs some help!"

"Have you ever thought that maybe she doesn't want to be a damsel in distress?"

"What girl wouldn't want to be a damsel in distress? A knight in shining armor always comes to protect the poor girl, and I decided that Fuji should be that knight in shining armor. Any normal girl would kill to be in her position."

"Kagome isn't a normal girl." The blank expression he recieved surprised him. "...you didn't notice...?"

"Notice what?"

----Kagome----

"Syusuke-kun!" I panted as he continued to pull me. "Syusuke-kun! I can't keep up for much longer! Please, slow down!"

Fuji obeyed and slowed to a walk, still holding on tightly to Kagome's wrist. She winced at the amount of pressure he was applying and he noticed, quickly letting go.

"Sorry" he apologized, smiling.

"Are you really that afraid of your sister?" I laughed, still panting, and he nodded.

"Sad, ne?"

"No... it's not. I'm sure Ryoma must be terrified of Sango" I commented and he laughed, holding his hand out to me. I looked at it, confused.

"I won't hold you as tightly this time" he explained and I took a step back, staring at it uncertainly. He let his outstretched arm fall and he shrugged, turning around and taking a few steps. When he noticed that I didn't follow he turned around. "Are you okay, Kagome?"

"I feel kind of... dizzy..." I mumbled and his smile disappeared. "I think I ran too far without enough fluids..."

"G-gomen, I didn't realize that-"

"I'll be fine, I just need to sit for a while is all..." I stated, smiling, and plopped onto the pavement. He walked back and sat in front of me, a questioning look in his eyes. "What?"

"How did your brother die?"

"In a car crash, along with my dad."

"I'm sorry to hear that..."

"I'm over it, that was a very long time ago... so... it doesn't hurt as much as when I first found out. It still puts me into a slight state of shock, though... knowing that I was part of the reason they died..."

"What do you mean?"

"My brother played tennis, just like I do now, and he was one of the best, a prodigy like you or Ryoma. He was running late because I was in the hospital and he had lost track of time. He had planned on riding the bus to the junior level national tournament but it would be too late if he did, so my dad decided to drive him..." I explained, hugging my knees. I didn't want to remember... I didn't want to remember the look on my mothers face when she looked at me as she recalled what had happened when I had asked her if dad or onii-chan was ever coming back.

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to, I was just wondering how he died. Saying that it was a car crash is enough."

I glanced at him, and seeing that he was serious, I relaxed and took a deep breath.

"I feel a lot better now, let's head back..." I mumbled and he stood up first, helping me up a moment later. We walked back to the dorm in silence and I occasionally glanced at him, seeing that he was smiling the entire time. When we had finally reached my dorm room, my curiousness overwhelmed me and I blurt out the question that I had been holding in. "Why are you so happy right now?"

"Because Kagome-chan finally told me about herself. I feel like I'm finally starting to get to know you" he replied simply before ruffling my hair and leaving. I scowled as he did so, glaring at his back as I straightened out my hair, and I walked into the dark room to find it empty. I noticed that they still had not added another bed yet when I prepared to sleep so I stole Kitten's blanket and wrapped it around myself as I curled up into a tiny ball in a corner of the room. I shut my eyes, falling asleep almost immediately.

--------------

I looked around myself and saw an all too familiar room. A picture of my father hung on the wall, and I saw my mother standing in front of it, staring. She had been doing that since before I could remember, but today I was feeling more curious than ever.

"Mama?"

"Yes, Kagome?"

"When's daddy coming home?" I asked and she gave a small, sad smile.

"He'll be home soon. Give him a few more weeks and he'll be home. I promise."

"Really?! With onii-chan?!" I exclaimed excitedly and a flash of an unknown emotion that I didn't recognize at that time made its way across her face just to disappear a moment later.

"Hai. With onii-chan..."

"Oh, I'm so excited! How old is onii-chan going to be?!"

"He should be about sixteen years old, Kagome..."

"Sixteen? That's really old! Why is he sixteen?"

"Because he was born eight years before you were..."

"Where is he now?"

"He's in... the other side of Tokyo..."

"Oh... hey, mom, if he doesn't come back can I go and look for him?"

"You'll have to be at least ten before I let you go out and look for him."

"Two years?!?!" I whined and she gave a soft smile.

"Hai... two years..."

"...fine..."

-------------

I was faintly aware of light flashing into my eyes, surrounding me, and I groaned, hugging myself tighter. An unfamilar scent filled my nostrils from the blanket I held but I ignored it, wrapping the blanket around me tighter. It was cold...

"Stupid girl stole my blanket..." a voice grumbled and a soft chuckle was heard.

"Kagome, give Kaidoh his blanket back. You can sleep in my room until your bed gets moved in" a voice that I recognized stated and I cracked an eye open.

"Onii-chan...?" I yawned sleepily and he smiled, nodding.

"Hai, it's me..."

"...but the blanket is warm..." I mumbled and Kaidoh hissed, annoyed.

"Give it back to him, I have an extra bed in my room because my roommate left recently. Wouldn't you prefer a bed and a blanket over just a blanket?"

"...yes... here you go Kitten-kun..." I murmured, giving him the blanket back. I shivered as the cold air touched my skin and Fuji led me to his room, letting me sleep on the bottom bunk as he climbed the ladder to the top one. Smiling at the warmth, I buried myself in the soft covers and quickly fell asleep again.

-------------

"...it's been two years and mom isn't letting me leave... that means that I'll just have to find onii-chan myself!" I grumbled to myself, going through her purse and taking all the money I could find. I counted it and smiled when I knew I had enough money to buy meals and support myself for three days, including pay phones, taxi, and train fares. That night, I snuck out of the house and raced to the train station in order to catch the last train of the day. After I had finally gotten out, it seemed like forever, but I had finally reached Kyoto by the time I had woken up the next morning.

I got off the train and walked out of the station, observing my surroundings.

"Wow..." I whispered in awe, walking around aimlessly. I pulled out a picture I had of my dad and looked at all the men that surrounded me, comparing faces. "None of them look right..." I grumbled, wandering throughout the entire city until it had gotten dark. It was a lot colder than I though it would be and that's when I ran into someone, hitting the ground hard. That's when it all started.

"You stupi' brat! Tha' hurt!" a voice slurred and a group of early twenties, late teens were looking at me, supporting another man that looked extremely intoxicated. The drunk guy pulled me to my feet, his hold extremely painful, and I whimpered. He reeked of alcohol, so much, in fact, that I wanted to barf.

"Onii-chan...!" I whined, trembling in fear, and looked around frantically for a way to escape. Giving up, I eventually stomped on the man's foot. He howled in pain and I made a run for it, racing off as fast as I could. I was suddenly knocked over and I skidded, skinning my knees as I yelped in pain and surprise. "Onii-chan!!!" I screamed as I curled in a ball and was beaten by the drunk man in front of me, but deep down, I knew that he wasn't coming. He would never come.

"Onii-chan! Onii-chan!" the man mocked in a high-pitched tone. "Annoying brat, screaming won't solve anything!"

There was a childish grunt and the pain stopped. Cracking an eye open I saw a brown-haired kid that looked a year older than me standing over me, protecting me. Who was this kid? He was knocked aside and the man raised his fist to hit me again. I scrambled to my feet, trying to get away but I was struck down before I could get very far. "ONII-CHAN!!!!" I sobbed.

The man kicked but I didn't feel anything except a mass amount of pressure against me, holding me tightly. There was a grunt in my ear. Because I was terrified of what it was, I cried harder.

"Shhh..." the voice whispered softly. "Onii-chan's here now, don't cry... Shhhh..."

A few minutes later, the weight disappeared and I was lifted to my feet. I wiped my tears with my dirty hands and accidentally smeared mud across my face, hiccuping and sobbing all the while. The boy gave a relieved sigh when he saw that I wasn't injured.

"Where's your mommy? Onii-chan will bring you home" he said softly and I looked at him. He looked a year older than I did with a kind, smiling face.

'I wish there were more people like him...' I thought to myself and he released a sigh, hugging me.

"Onii-chan's here, you don't have to cry anymore..." he whined and I gripped his shirt, making him dirtier. He responded by patting my head and I let go, staring at the ground. He squatted and looked up at me. "How old are you?"

"T-ten..." I stammered.

"Then I really am your onii-chan! I'm eleven!!!" he shouted happily. "Now, where's your mommy?"

"I don't know...!" I mumbled and he laughed nervously.

"O-oh... okay..."

Everything changed and I was back in my room, staring at my mom.

"Where were you?!"

"I was looking for onii-chan..."

"Do you want to know where onii-chan is?! He's not in Kyoto, he's not even in this world anymore! He died, Kagome! He died because he was going to be late for his tennis tournament all because I was in the hospital!" Looking into her eyes, I saw pure hatred and it terrified me. If it were just hatred, I wouldn't have been scared into this state, but who it was aimed at scared me the most... it was aimed at _me_. "It's _your_ fault that your dad and onii-chan aren't with us anymore! All because you decided to come out early!!!!"

-------------

I shot up into a sitting position, panting, and turned to see Syusuke beside me, a worried look on his face.

"Are you alright...?"

"...I killed them..." I whispered, "...it's all my fault that they're dead..."

"What...?"

"All because I was born early... they died in the car crash because they were rushing..."

"Your onii-chan and dad...?"

"...they died... they died the day I was born..." I whispered softly, eyes wide. "I-I killed them..."

Syusuke chuckled and I looked at him. "Baaakaaaa, how can you kill them if you weren't even born yet?" he asked and I thought it over, he made a very good point. "And you being born early wasn't your decision. It wasn't your fault you were born, your mother could've had an abortion."

"But..."

"Is this what your mom taught you since that day I sent you back home? Is that why you always ran away?"

I slowly nodded, dropping my head. "My mom blamed me for all of her problems, saying that if I were half the tennis player my brother was, she would be having a much simpler life... I couldn't take it anymore... so I ran..."

Syusuke poked my cheek and I looked at him.

"I really am a baka, aren't I?"

He smiled, poking my cheek again. "Only if you think so, but you know I'm always joking when I call you that." I gave a watery laugh and threw myself at him, hugging him. He tensed but sighed and let me cling to him. "I bet onee-chan planned this from the start..." he grumbled and I laughed more. He hesitated before returning the hug and I loosened my grip.

"Thank you, onii-chan..." I whispered and he sighed again. I could practically see his smile widening in my imagination.

"Baaaaka..." he laughed.

To Be Continued...


	7. Chapter 7

----Kagome----

There was a knock on the door and I groaned, snuggling deeper in to the warmth that held me, burying my face in the comforting aroma that I recognized so well. There was another knock on the door and the body I clung to shifted, the cool air surrounding me like a bucket of cold water.

"Get up, Kagome-chan" Fuji's voice laughed as a finger poked my cheek and I grunted, arm wrapping around him and bathing myself in his warmth again. My eyes shot open when I finally realized what I was doing. Slowly lifting my gaze, I saw Fuji staring down at me as I clung to him like a baby to its mother. My face flushed and I quickly let go with a squeak, pressing myself against the wall, hiding myself behind a blanket, covering my face up to my cheeks.

"Dangit, Fuji! Open the stupid door!" Momo's familar voice shouted, the pounding growing louder. Fuji opened the door and Momo came crashing into the room, landing on the floor in front of me. "Ow..." he hissed as he rubbed his face, then noticed me a few seconds later, hiding behind the bedsheets. "K-Kagome-chan?" he stammered and I nodded, too embarrassed to speak. He gave a mischevious smirk and glanced back at Fuji. "Shame on you, you little-"

"I didn't do anything" he interrupted, coming over and yanking the sheets from my hands. "See? Her clothes are still on. I'm completely innocent of any perverse ideas going through your mind, Momo."

"B-but..."

"She was having nightmares. I merely comforted her is all." Momo looked at me and I nodded, showing that Fuji was telling the truth.

"Then why was she hiding herself under the blankets?" he questioned.

"I was cold" I replied, "and embarrassed."

"Why?" he asked, curiosity overtaking him and I covered my face, whimpering. "Kagome...?"

"I'M NEVER GOING TO BE ABLE TO MARRY!!!!" I shouted, tears pouring from my eyes in waves. "OH MY GOD!!! I SLEPT IN THE SAME BED WITH ANOTHER MAN!!! I'M NEVER GOING TO MARRY!!!!"

"Kagome-chan, it'll be okay..." Fuji comforted and I glared at him, pointing at him.

"You! It's all your fault!" I accused and he cocked his head to the side.

"How so? You wouldn't let me leave."

"Well maybe if you tried _harder_ to _get away from me_, I wouldn't be in this predicament!!!!"

"Kagome? Did something happen?" Sango's voice called and I looked at her, sniffing. "Oh god no..." she groaned, "something did happen..."

"What did you come to tell me?" Fuji asked, changing the subject.

"Oishi-senpai asked me to tell you to get up for morning practice."

"Oh, okay." Fuji stretched, grunting as he did so, before grabbing his bags and heading out.

"Aren't you going to change, Fuji?" Momo asked and Fuji shrugged.

"I don't feel like changing my clothes in front of two women. I'm sure that none of the three of us would enjoy it" he replied, walking out of the room. Momo scrambled to his feet, giving an awkward bow towards the two of us before chargin after Fuji. Sango watched as he left, shutting the door behind him, and then sat on the bed beside me.

"What did you do now, Kagome?" she asked, but it was more like a statement than a question.

"I slept in the same bed as onii-chan!!!" I shouted, horrified, "I'LL-"

"-Never be able to marry, I know, I know" Sango interrupted knowingly and I nodded, whimpering. She looked like she was lecturing me, eyes closed and pointing at nothing in particular. "For pete's sake, Kagome, he's your brother! It shouldn't matter!"

"But that's the thing, he's _not_ my brother. I just call him that..." I pointed out and Sango's eyes snapped open, jaw dropping.

"NANI?!?!?!" she exclaimed. "But- He- You-"

"We're not related in any way."

"Oh dear... that could be a problem, then." I nodded, whimpering again, and Sango sighed. "Well then, the only thing to do is forget about it!"

"Easy for _you_ to say" I grumbled and she scowled.

"What did you say...?" she growled lowly and I squeaked.

"I see him every single day! I can't possibly forget, Sango!!!" I whined and she released another sigh.

"Act as if nothing happened between the two of you and it'll be fine."

"Except that every time I see him now my face goes red" I argued and she smirked.

"Ohhhhhh, I know what _that_ means" she giggled and I was the one to scowl this time.

"I do not" I stated defiantly, crossing my arms.

"Do too."

"Do not."

"Do too."

"Do not."

"Do too. Face it Kagome, you like your adorable little nii-san, don't you?" she teased and I glared at her.

"I do not!"

"You may say you don't right now, but you'll realize your mistake when you lose him. That's when you'll know that I was right this enttiiiiiire time" she informed. "Just don't come to me crying when you notice that I, the great Sango, am correct."

"You? The 'Great Sango'? Don't make me laugh, you can't even come to terms with your feelings for _Miroku_" I commented slyly and her face grew red.

"_That_ pervert? You've got to be kidding me! As if anyone could like _him_."

"Well, you do, so that-"

"I do not!"

"Here we go again..." I laughed and she smiled.

"But you really shouldn't blame Fuji-senpai, it was your fault for not letting go."

"...hai..." I sighed and Sango laughed, patting my head.

"Why don't you apologize after practice is over? Get it over with. It may not help completely, but it should help a little."

I nodded and got up, going back to Ryoma's room and changing before walking with Sango to the tennis courts and watching them practice. Ryoma noticed Sango and sprinted to the opposite side of the court. A smirking Sango followed him, making crude remarks at his playing style every once in a while.

"Shut up, nee-san! It's not like you can do better anyways!" he growled, annoyed, and Sango laughed as she gave me a thumbs up to show that her plan was going smoothly.

"So, you're Kagome, right?" someone asked and I looked up to see Tezuka. I slowly nodded and he placed a racket in my hand. "Play me" he commanded before walking away. I looked at the racket in my hands for a few seconds before gripping it tightly and gritting my teeth. I followed Tezuka to a court a few courts away, glaring at the racket the entire time. Glancing at Tezuka, I looked him over and gave an evil smirk.

"Any handicaps?" I asked calmly and he shook his head. "Well, tell me if you want one later. I won't go easy on you."

"I assure you, I don't need any handicaps."

"Suit yourself." 'I'll show you, mom, I'll show you that I can play just as well as onii-chan, if not better!'

------Normal POV------

"Ryoma! Ryoma! You'll never believe it!" Horio panted as he raced into the middle of the court in the middle of a rally. Ryoma ran into him and fell to the ground, the tennis ball bouncing off the place Ryoma would have reached if Horio hadn't interfered.

"What do you want?" Ryoma growled lowly, ignoring Sango's rude side-comments.

"You know that girl that beat you the other day?" he asked and Ryoma nodded, "She's playing a match against Tezuka in the other court!"

"Your point?" Ryoma grumbled, getting up.

"She's beating him! One of the second-years is keeping track of the score and Tezuka's getting annihilated!"

All the games suddenly stopped as everyone froze before the tennis court cleared out in under five seconds as everyone went to see the match. Ryoma, also curious, followed and arrived just in time to see Tezuka miss another ball. Tezuka stood up straight, sweat starting to drip off of him as Kagome stood there, tall and strong.

"Would you like your handicap now?" she asked and Tezuka scowled.

"Eyes" he stated and Kagome shut her eyes, lowering her head in concentration. After he served, Kagome sprinted to one side of the court and hit it back with ease, sensing the ball's movement. Tezuka's eyes darkened, frustration settling in to his features.

"Sugoi..." Horio whispered as Sango arrived and she bit her lower lip.

"How many games has it been?" she questioned.

"Game goes to Kagome, 5-0" the second year announced and Sango tensed.

"Why are you so tense, Sango-senpai? Kagome seems to be doing well" Horio stated but Sango ignored him, watching the tennis game as it progressed. By the time it was game point Sango was squirming and fidgeting non-stop, a distressed look on her face. A similar expression was on Fuji's but his had relaxed by the game point instead of the opposite, like Sango's had done.

"Game and match goes to Kagome, 6-0" the ref announced and gasps and roars of surprise erupted from around her. She fell to her knees and leaned against her white racket, trembling. She looked up at Tezuka, who was calmly making his way over to her side of the court.

"You weren't trying" she mumbled softly as he stood over her and he nodded.

"But neither were you. I was planning on it in the beginning, but after observing your play for a few rallies, I knew about _that_."

Kagome gave a sad smile. "Depressing, ne?" she panted, her breaths coming in short, quick gasps now.

"Go to the nurse before the condition gets even worse" he stated, ignoring her question and turning to leave.

"Tezuka" she called after him and he stopped, showing that he heard her. "Thank you."

"Next time we'll play a game, and not a match. That way you won't be affected as much" he said in response, walking out of the courts. Kagome tried to calm her breathing down for a few minutes after he left before struggling to her feet. She turned towards Sango and Fuji, smiling, but she knew she wouldn't last long enough to make it to the nurse. Taking her first step, her knees buckled and she collapsed to her hands and knees, her racket laying on its side beside her as a horrible feeling in her stomach made her want to regurgitate everything she had eaten the day before. A cough forced its way out of her throat, causing a sharp stab of pain in her lungs that cause tears to well up behind her eyes. One hand flew to her ribs as the other clenched into a fist against the pain.

A comforting arm helped her stand up and Sango's soft voice gave her confidence. "Breathe, Kagome, calm down, everything's going to be fine. You can do this, at least make it to the nurse before dying" she joked and Kagome released pained, but genuine, laughter.

"I've been through this... many times" Kagome coughed, a weak smile on her face.

"Maybe, but you've never collapsed while doing so."

"True."

"Maybe Fuji onii-chan should carry you instead of me helping you stumble to the nurse" she teased and Kagome laughed again, which only brought another fit of coughs, this time worse. She shoved Sango away and stumbled into the fence in the process. She gripped the chainlink fence after falling to her knees again and rested her head on the fence, taking the deepest, most calming breaths that she could manage. She knew what was going on now, why this one was so much worse than the last.

"Kagome, are you alright?" Fuji asked and Kagome shoved him away.

"Don't look at me!" she pleaded but Fuji decided to be stubborn and walked up to her again, resting his hand on her shoulder as she trembled beneath his touch. "Don't come near me!" she commanded and he flinched, pulling his hand back. She had never used that tone with him before.

"Kagome..." he murmured softly but she ignored him. "Kagome, at least tell me what's going on."

"Step away from her, Fuji-kun!" Sango shouted and he hesitated before obeying. He was suddenly yanked back to Sango's side and she gave him a stern gaze. "Get everyone else away from here and don't look back. Now."

"Why?"

"Just do it!"

He slowly nodded and ran to the side of the tennis court, telling everyone to leave before doing so himself. Right before the tennis court went out of view, he glanced back, disobeying Sango's commands, and froze at what he saw. Why was Kagome glowing...? Sango was by her side, comforting her, tellng her to relax and other such things. Tearing his eyes away, he finally left the court and practice started up again with its usual pace.

-----Kagome------

"It's okay, they're gone now, Kagome" Sango whispered and I relaxed, knowing that no one would get hurt except for her dear friend Sango and herself. Sango had dealt with this many times and so it didn't faze her anymore. I let miko ki flare, releasing all of my powers. The ki was so pure that I felt pain surrounding me, I was bathing in it. When it had finally stopped, I gave one last, final cough before slowly shutting my eyes and falling into unconciousness.

When I woke up I found myself on a white bed, staring at a ceiling of a similar hue. A hospital bed? I was in a hosptial bed?

"You woke up" Syusuke's voice commented and I glanced over at him.

"Where am I?"

"My room."

"It's very bland..."

"I'm not much for decorating."

"I've noticed. It looks like a hospital room, and no offense, onii-chan, but I find hospitals terrifying."

"I understand why, after what happened with your mother blaming you and all."

"Oh, geez, thanks a lot, onii-chan."

"You're welcome."

"Why am I in your room?"

"Because Kaidoh seems to have a grudge against you for some reason and has banned you from your own room."

"Oh, that stupid little Kitty, I'll kill him!"

"... I see _why_ he holds a grudge."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing."

"...wait, last night..." I began and he looked at me.

"What about it?"

"You're much stronger than I am, you easilly could have escaped my grip" I commented and he smiled.

"But you were sleeping so peacefully."

"Like _hell_ I was. What crap are you spouting out of that mouth of yours now?"

"I love you too, Kagome-chan."

"What you just said wasn't a confession, it was an insult."

"Well, I confessed my undying love for you, so it's a confession."

"_I_ take it as an insult."

"That hurts, Kagome-chan, that really hurts."

"Oh boohoo, onii-chan. Why didn't you leave last night?"

"Because Kagome-chan was warm and I was cold."

My face flushed and I scowled. "So you did it on purpose..."

"In a way, yes."

My anger meter was in the 'danger' zone, now. He had to be careful of his next words.

"You did it... on purpose..."

"Does it really matter?" he asked innocently.

Wrong thing to say. I blew up.

"Why you little-" I began but he squeaked and raced out of his room. I hopped out of the bed and chased him. "Get back here you pervert! Stop! Sit! Bad boy! SIT, DANGIT!"

"Ooooh, Kagome-chan is scary..." he commented, which only fueled my anger. I was faintly aware of some of the other people coming out of their dorms to see what the ruckus was, but it didn't really click in my mind that they were watching.

"FUJI SYUSUKE, GET BACK HERE RIGHT NOW!"

"Crap, she sounds like onee-chan now..."

"GIVE MY BACK MY RIGHTS TO MARRIAGE, DAMMIT!!!!! GIVE THEM BACK!!!! YOU STUPID, PERVERTED, SELF-CENTERED, IGNORANT, GREEDY, ANNOYING, BLUE-EYED, SMILEY-FACED IGNORAMUS!"

"Fuji, I think you got her mad, nya" Eiji stated as Fuji ran past.

"You think?!" 'I don't want to die...!'

To Be Continued...


	8. Chapter 8

-----Sango-----

Hearing all the ruckus in the hallway, I stood up from my brother's bed and went to the door, opening it just in time to see Fuji running past at a dead sprint, Kagome blurring by soon after. I blinked a few times before following them with my gaze.

"Eiji!" Fuji hollered, pounding on one of the doors as Kagome caught up to him. "Sanctuary, sanctuary!" he panted and Eiji sighed.

"Kagome-sama can't be that scary, nya..."

"Fuji!!!" Kagome shouted and Eiji's eyes widened before slamming the door in Fuji's face.

"What the hell did you do to her?!?!" Eiji demanded through the door and Fuji flinched as Kagome crashed into him, knocking them both over. She began to pound him with her fists and Fuji tried to cover his head as well as he could with his arms, not succeeding at all. She suddenly stopped and I knew that 'it' had hit. I raced out into the hallway and skidded on my knees, stopping at her side just as the first tear fell onto Fuji's face.

"Kagome, come on, what happened now?" I asked softly, helping Kagome to her feet. The girl needed some serious psychiatric treatment. "Kagome? Kagoooome...?" I called and she slowly raised her head, staring straight at where Fuji's eyes would have been if they were open.

"Give them back, dammit!" she hissed, struggling, and I scowled.

"Kagome, the past is the past, let it go" I stated sternly but she didn't hear me. She was in her own little world, stuck in her past and not able to get out. I growled under my breath and mumbled a quick apology to kami-sama before glancing at Fuji. He had a confused look on his face and I took a deep breath before punching Kagome in the gut, knocking her out. She fell into my outstretched arm and I grunted as I hoisted her over my shoulder.

"What happened?" Fuji asked, confused, and I looked back at him.

"Its dangerous for you, Fuji" I stated and he became even more confused. "Being around Kagome will only put you in danger. You're bringing back memories for her that she had tried to forget, and it's beginning to take a toll on her body and her mind. If this keeps up at the rate its going, you'll be lying on the floor in a pool of blood with your neck slit open before you know it."

"But-"

I gave him a reassuring smile. "I'll bring her home for now, but don't worry. After she comes back, she should be stable enough to handle you for a few days before losing it again."

"You're sounding sarcastic" he commented and my reassuring smile turned into a sad one.

"If only you knew, Fuji..." I whispered before turning around and walking away, Kagome's limp body over my shoulder.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Interpret it as you like, it has multiple meanings."

"Are you going to tell me what's going on?"

"I suggest you explain to your dorm mates before coming to me with questions. I'm sure that the surrounding atmosphere would be much more comfortable without all the rumors brewing in their minds. They can be quite creative, you know."

"When will Kagome come back?"

"When I think she's ready to, and no sooner than that."

"Where are you taking her?"

"Somewhere you can't go."

"What do you mean?"

I sighed. "Meet me where we last met after school today, I'll answer all of your questions then."

"Better" he grumbled as I carried Kagome out of the dorm and to my home, ignoring the weird looks I got. I set her down on my bed and looked at the clock. Lunchtime, but why wasn't I hungry?

"Sango..." Kagome mumbled and I looked at her. "It happened again, didn't it?"

"Hai, Kagome... it did..."

Kagome placed the back of her hand on her forehead, groaning. "Who was it this time?" she asked softly and there was a long silence before I answered.

"Fuji." Kagome shot up, horrified, but she winced and held her ribcage. Had I hit her there? I was positive I didn't... "What did you do to your ribs...?" I questioned and she gave a bitter smile.

"In the alley, before Syusuke came, the thugs were stupid and decided to shake me up a bit."

"How are your lungs?"

"Just peachy." She hesitated before asking another question. "How's Syusuke-kun?"

"He's perfectly fine. A little confused, but unharmed." She let loose the breath that she had unknowingly held and relaxed. "I'm going to tell him" I said and Kagome once again tensed, her entire body trembling.

"Don't."

"He needs to know, Kagome."

"No, he-"

"He's been in the dark this entire ti-"

"He doesn't need to know!!!!" Kagome shouted over me and I calmed myself.

"Listen, Kagome" I commanded. Although my voice had lowered in volume, it was cold and deadly. "He _needs_ to know, and you know that just as well as I do."

"No, he'll-"

"What? Leave you?" I laughed hysterically, waving my arm in the air in distress, "He hasn't left your side this entire time, and you think that one little fact is going to drive him away?"

"It's not 'one little fact', Sango" she growled.

"Oh? Then what is it? Are you that afraid of being left alone that much? What could possibly happen? He might leave you, yeah, but the chances are slim to none, you're panicking over _nothing_, got that, Kagome?"

"And what are you going to do if he does leave me? What are you going to do then?"

"I don't know, I-"

"I want to know, Sango! What the hell are you planning to do if onii-chan leaves me just because you told him that 'one little fact'? Huh? You're not going to tell him that one thing! You're going to tell him about my entire life and we both know that that's going to happen, despite everything you say! He stuck by my side throughout this entire time, if I lose him, I'll-"

"You'll what? Die?" I snapped and she gritted her teeth. "There's more than one man in this world! If you don't believe me then take a look out the frick'n window! There are tons!"

"But the only one that I trust is onii-chan. He's never hurt my before, and I know him well enough to know that he wouldn't."

"That's what you said about Inuya-"

"Shut up!!!" she screamed, "I know I said that about Inuyasha, but-"

"Just look at what happened to him!" I growled, "Look at what happened to-"

"What happened to Inuyasha?" a voice interrupted from the doorway and I saw Fuji standing there, that trademark smile on his face as usual.

"Get out of here, Smiley" I snarled, "I told you that I would answer all of your questions later."

"Is it so wrong that I'm curious about Kagome's well-fare?"

"Do you not trust me with her?"

"If things continue the way they are now, no, I don't" he replied simply and I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself down.

"How long have you been standing there?" I whispered.

"Long enough to have another couple hundred questions jumping into my head." I glanced at Kagome and she had a defeated look on her face. She sighed and collapsed back onto my bed, taking deep, calming breaths.

"I give up..." she mumbled, "I don't care anymore..."

"I'm telling him, then."

"Not like me arguing would make a difference" she laughed softly and I nodded, knowing what she meant. What? I was stubborn. Walking out of the room, I motioned for Fuji to follow. He did and I led him to a nearby park.

"Amazing how she can change in a blink of an eye in front of you, huh?" I asked quietly, facing away from him, but Fuji kept quiet, waiting for the time he would get his questions answered. I gave him that chance when I gave him the 'go ahead.' "Ask away, kiddo, and I'll answer as best I can."

"Why is this happening to Kagome so soon? She should have another five years, at least."

"You're well informed."

"I have my sources."

"Inui."

"He's one of them, yes."

"He's only one of them?"

"He's all of them" he corrected himself and I took a deep breath, preparing to answer, but he spoke again. "It has to do with this 'Inuyasha', doesn't it?"

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you" I laughed, but started to explain anyways. "Kagome has been moving around a lot more than her doctor had expected her to. Not only with tennis, but with other... chores... as well."

"Please be more specific."

"Do you know of the legend of the shikon Jewel?"

"I've heard it a few times and one of my teachers made us act out a play about it a few years back."

"Then you know about the last year or so of Kagome's life."

"What do you mean?"

"She went back to the feudal era through a portal in the well for extremely long periods of time. While she was there, I'm sure you can guess what she did."

"Collected jewel shards...?" He didn't seem to believe the story I was telling.

"Hai. Kagome got injured plenty of times in the process, and she was always running around as if nothing was wrong..." I whispered softly, "but Kagome didn't tell any of us until the final battle." I turned to Fuji, tears welling up and a lump in my throat making my voice crack. "She pushed herself too hard, and ran before we could see the effects of our travels."

"What are you trying to say?"

"She's dying, Fuji. I went with her to the doctor the day before she came. She's got until the 10th of February... after that..." I trailed off, knowing he would understand.

"Is that why she gave up on playing on a tennis team?" he asked, "Because she can't handle it anymore?" I slowly nodded, holding back the tears. His eyes were still closed, as if he didn't want me to see what was going on behind them. They always did say that the eyes are a window to your soul... "I... see... but why was she afraid that I'd leave her?"

"So you were there for quite a while, weren't you? Couldn't take it anymore?"

"Just answer."

"She... she's destroyed many, her hands are stained with blood. She's a trained killer, Fuji."

He took it well, if standing there as still as a statue could be interpreted as 'taken well'.

"Like, a hunter? Big game type of thing?"

"No. Like, demons. She's had to watch innocent people die around her, suffering because a demon wanted what she kept around her neck at all times. This drove her closer to the edge, propelling her closer to her death. The stress was too much."

"And that's why she's the way she is? That has nothing to do with this 'Inuyasha' guy."

"She loved Inuyasha, trusted, believed in him, but-"

An arrow flew by my face and made a 'thunk' against the tree a few yards away. I turned to see Kagome with her bow in hand, aimed at me. She pulled another arrow out of her quiver and prepared it.

"That's enough, Sango" she hissed and I glanced at Fuji.

"See what I mean? Get too close and you learn too much. End up telling and she'll be on you in a second with the intent to kill. You should keep your distance."

"He can leave if he wants, I don't care anymore. Nobody cares anymore."

"What are you talking about?" I demanded. "What do you mean no one cares?! Too many people care about you, Kagome, haven't you noticed it yet?!"

"And that's why they all die, right?" she spat "That's why they all leave me here to wander around alone and scared. I promised myself I wouldn't do this again, I swore not to trust anyone because I knew that they would turn on me in the end."

"But it's too late, isn't it?" I whispered and she pulled the arrow back. "You trust _him_." I pointed at Fuji.

Kagome flinched, grip tightening around the arrow in her hands.

"Then I'll get rid of him now before he can betray me" she snarled, aiming at Fuji and pulling the string back all the way.

"Kagome, what the hell is wrong with you?!" I shouted, "Snap out of it!"

"Shut up, Sango!" she snapped.

"Are you that afraid of being alone?" Fuji questioned, not moving. "If you are, why would you kill your own onii-chan...?"

"You're not my brother!"

He smiled. "Of course, I could never take the place of your brother, ne?"

"Shut that mouth of yours, Fuji!" I commanded but he didn't listen.

"No one can ever take the place of your brother-"

"Shut up..." Kagome whispered.

"-especially not me."

"Shut up."

"I suppose that makes sense though, I don't think of you in a way a brother does, never have and never will."

"Shut up!" she repeated, almost shouting.

"I like you a lot more, and if you don't believe me, I won't move from this spot and I'll let you shoot me with that arrow if that's what you want. I kind of deserve it for taking away your rights to marriage, even if it is a little extreme."

"Fine!" she hissed, aiming. Fuji shut his eyes, a smile on his face. How could he have been so confident? So relaxed? He was about to die!

"Kagome! No!" I shouted but she released the arrow. I shut my eyes when I heard a 'thunk' and a grunt, not wanting to see what had happened.

To Be Continued...

...flame her.


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: Own nothing... (If you haven't noticed, I don't like disclaimers...)

I recieved a _ton_ more reivews than I had expected to so I decided to post another chapter! (YAY!) Hope you like it and R&R!!!!!

Good Times

Chapter 9

firefox369

------Kagome------

What was I doing...? Why was I aiming at onii-chan? ...why did I want to kill him...? But it was too late, and the arrow had been released. It flew straight and true, and I watched as it was about to connect.

'No!' my mind screamed and I shoved him out of the way with my miko ki. He hit the ground with a grunt just as the arrow flew past and hit the tree behind him. I fell to my knees, unmoving, horrified at what I had almost done. Syusuke sat up, that damn smile still on his face.

"That was exciting, I hadn't had that much fun in years" he commented and Sango slowly opened her eyes. Her face lit up with a smile.

"You didn't kill him, Kagome!" she exclaimed, almost as if congratulating me. I stared blankly at the ground, still too shocked to speak. I had almost killed _Syusuke_, the only leverage in my life other than Sango. What was wrong with me? The bow dropped out of my hands and I slowly lifted one hand to my face as my vision blurred.

'I almost killed him... I almost... killed him...' I stared at my hand with so much hatred that I was tempted to chop it off. I could hear the screams in my head, echoing and never disappearing... the demons I'd killed, the humans I had watched die... all the screams were engraved in my mind, repeating over and over again.

"Why didn't you run...?" I asked nervously and Syusuke looked at me, still smiling that damn smile of his. I wanted to rip it off.

"I didn't think I'd need to" he replied. "I trusted you enough to know that you wouldn't shoot me with death in your mind."

"And if I did?"

"Well then, I wouldn't be here right now, would I?"

"No. I guess not..." I whispered, shutting my eyes. "...I guess not..." I was suddenly tackled in a hug and my eyes flew open, meeting a dark uniform the moment they did. "What are you-" I cut myself off when I felt him trembling. He was scared... I couldn't tell from far away, and even now, the only reason I knew he was trembling was because I could feel it.

"Please don't threaten to kill me while pointing a weapon at me again, it was scary" he mumbled and I released a timid laugh. "_Very_ scary."

"Gomen nasai..." I said softly, glancing over at Sango to find her looking away, not wanting to ruin the moment for us, if this was considered a moment. Syusuke was still making stupid jokes and I was still in a state of shock. Nothing was really happening, 'clicking' between the two of us. Syusuke began to relax and I felt a feeling of discomfort settling inside of the back of mind, nagging at me until I couldn't take it anymore. "You're missing school" I stately bluntly and he let go of me, still smiling.

"I am, aren't I?"

"You don't look good. You're white as a sheet."

"So are you."

"I'm sure I have more color in my face than you do."

"I wouldn't be too sure about that."

"You still need to give me my rights to marriage back."

"Sorry, I'll keep them. Not like you get them back anyways."

"Stupid onii-chan" I mumbled and Sango sighed in relief, happy that we were still (somewhat) sane, and stopped us before we could argue any further.

"Just go back to school Syusuke. Go to your classes like you usually would, and I'll see if Kagome's ready to go back to the dorms. Considering she didn't kill you, that's a good sign, but the fact that she almost _had_ killed you is _not_ a good sign" she informed and Syusuke hesitated before nodding, standing up and turning to leave. I watched as his silhouette slowly shrunk, and then disappeared as he turned a corner.

"I may have been wrong, Kagome" Sango murmured and I looked at her. "Maybe staying with him _is_ good for you... sure, he's bringing out the extremely bad side of you, but he's also drawing out who you used to be, too. You act like a little kid around him, and I miss that."

"...I don't know what to do anymore, Sango..." I whimpered. "I want to leave him so he doesn't get hurt by me, but the thought of leaving him scares me..."

"You've grown attached to him a little more than you had hoped, ne?" she laughed and I shot her a glare.

"Being attached scares me. You never know when the person you trusted is going to leave you, betray you."

"Okay, you know what? I'm done with your complaining for one day, I'm making you go to school so you can cheer up a little."

"How is going to school going to cheer me up?" I demanded.

"School equals Fuji-kun. Fuji-kun equals Kag happy. Therefore, using transitive property, School equals Kag happy" she explained, grabbing my hand and starting to drag me back to Seigaku.

"School does _not_ equal Kag happy!" I shouted, planting my feet firmly in the ground. "Let go of me!"

"Stop throwing a tantrum like a stupid four year old, Kagome!"

"I'll throw a stupid tantrum when I feel like throwing a stupid tantrum like a stupid for year old, stupid!"

"Language, Kagome, shame on you!"

"Baaaaka!!!! Let go of me!"

"You are going to go to school, whether you like it or not!"

"No I'm not!"

"Fine, then you can stay alone at my house with my dad."

My eyes widened, horrified. Alone in the house with _that_ pervert?! "Fine! I'm going to school!" I hollered, frustrated, and stormed off. I heard Sango's laughter chasing after me, stalking me the entire way to school. I stood in front of the front door, staring at it for a very long time, deciding whether or not I should enter, but the moment the bell rang for lunch I decided not to and walked back to the dorms. I stuck my key in the room I shared with Ryoma and walked inside, scowling when I saw that the spare bed had still not come in.

"Do they enjoy seeing me sleep on the ground? Stupid little..." I trailed off, deciding to relax a little bit. I plopped onto the seat beside the desk and saw a tennis magazine. Curious, I opened it and flipped through it, looking at the different moves that it described. My eyes dulled the moment my eyes landed on the twist serve and I slammed it shut, setting my head against the desk with a groan.

"I hate being sick..." I grumbled, gently hitting my forehead against the desk. "I hate, hate, hate, hate, hate being sick... guess mom was right..." I sighed to myself and sat up straight, staring out the window. That's when I noticed that Ryoma's room was right next to the courts, and the tennis team was practicing. I saw Fuji miss a shot and I scowled. 'I know he's better than that, the baka.'

"Fuji, what's wrong with you today?" Eiji questioned and Fuji looked at him, smiling.

"Nothing important."

I scoffed. The liar. After watching a few more of his rallies, I knew that he wasn't concentrating. Annoyed, I shot to my feet, grabbing the white racket that I had left in the room, and opened the window wide, hopping through it and picking up a stray tennis ball. I bounced it a few times before throwing it in the air and serving it, aiming straight for Syusuke's head. It hit him with a satisfying 'clunk' and dropped to the ground. Syusuke scowled before he saw me, that's when his smile grew wider. Walking over to the basket of tennis balls, I picked up another and threw it in the air, serving it at him again. I repeated the process over and over, hitting him each time.

"What are you doing, Kagome-sama?"

"What the hell is wrong with you, Syusuke?!" I commanded, completely ignoring Eiji as I served another ball and hit him again. "You're supposed to be good at tennis, not some loser who can't even beat the stupid juice-drinking donkey! Get up!" He did, but flinched when another ball hit him in the stomach. "Prodigy my ASS! Play like you normally do, dammit! It's upsetting, watching you get killed by the annoying, pipsqueak!"

"Is this what she did to you when she was teaching you?" Oishi asked Eiji and Eiji laughed, rubbing the back of his head.

"Y-yeah... I'm lucky that she didn't know how to use the twist serve back then..."

"Some coach... more like a murderer than anything..." Oishi commented and I froze, slowly facing him.

"What did you just say...?" I questioned coldly and he took a step back.

"N-nothing..." he stammered.

"Nothing my butt..." I growled but I was held back before I could kill him.

"Whoa, Kagome-senpai, no killing the vice-captain, he's an essential part of our team, you know" Momo grunted, holding my arms back. I growled menacingly as I kicked him in the shin, making him collapse to the ground in a fit of pain. I was held back again, but this time a familiar voice drained away all of my anger.

"Kagome-chan, no need to get angry, I'll play like I usually do, 'kay?" Syusuke said softly in my ear and I pouted, glaring at the ground.

"Fine, but if you mess up like you were before, I get to serve another tennis ball at your head." I felt him tense before letting go and beginning to leave.

"Hai, hai!" he hollered back, waving his hand and I scowled, plopping onto the court and watching as he played. He was doing well until he suddenly stumbled over nothing in particular and completely missed the ball. I could see him ducking, preparing for the pain to come. When nothing happened, he turned to look at me. He slowly stood up and hesitated before getting into his ready position. I got up and picked up a tennis ball, throwing it in the air as he prepared to serve. I served it at him and hit the back of his head just as he was about to hit the ball. The ball he threw into the air landed on his head a split second after mine had hit and bounced on the ground once, twice, before stopping and rolling to the net.

"...ow" he mumbled.

"Baka! Don't just stand there! Serve already!" I shouted.

----After Practice----

"Kagome-chan...!" Syusuke whined, following me as we made our way back to the dorm entrance, rubbing his bruises all the while. "Why do you have to be so cruel to me?"

"Don't worry, tomorrow it's going to be Donkey, then Kitty the day after, then Porcupine, then Psycho Scary Guy, then Puppy, then Bunny, and last, but not least, Ducky!"

"You need to explain these names to me, Kagome-chan..." he sighed, not understanding a single thing I just said.

"You know who Donkey and Kitty are. Porcupine is the black-haired kid with the spiky hair. Psycho Scary Guy is the guy that goes crazy when he has a racket. Puppy is Oishi, Bunny is Eiji, and Tezuka is Ducky!"

"Why is Tezuka Ducky...?"

"Because I said so."

"...I see... and why are you following me to my room?"

"My bed still hasn't come in yet. Does Syusuke-kun not want me here?"

"No, its fine, I was just curious is all" he replied, opening the door and allowing me inside. Stretching, I looked at the clock and scowled when the red numbers glowed 9:30.

"Hmmm... five hour practice, huh?" I commented and he glanced at me.

"Yeah." He began to lift his shirt collar and I squeaked before facing away from him. He gave me a confused look. "I was only wiping off sweat..." he mumbled and I laughed.

"I-I knew that..."

"How many?" he asked and I glanced at him.

"How many what?"

"Days left."

I gave a bitter smile. "Not enough..." I mumbled, climbing up the ladder to the top bunk. I plopped down onto it and laid down on my stomach, chin in between my hands as I watched him move around the room.

"The number has lessened even more, hasn't it...?"

I laughed. "All because of the alley incident" I replied.

"What happened in the alley that shortened it?"

"They hit me in the ribs, and although it didn't damage my lungs, it hurt me enough."

He sighed. "Turn around" he commanded, pulling out a shirt. I obeyed and shut my eyes, blocking out the rustling of his clothes. "'Kay, its safe now."

I turned around and got onto my hands and knees, crawling over to the railing and hanging over it, staring at him. "Am I annoying?" I asked.

"That was a random question."

"Am I?"

"You worry me too much, if that counts."

I sighed. "Of cour-Eeek!" My body slid over the edge a little too far as I went limp and I went toppling over the edge of the bunk bed. Syusuke caught me before I hit the ground, but he ended up falling over and I hit the ground anyway, although not as hard.

"See? Heavy" he joked and I noticed that one of his arms was around my waist as the other hand was dangerously close to my face. Our legs were a tangled mess, and his face was a little too close for comfort. He let go of me and stood up, untangling himself, before he could see my face flush and I was about to climb up the ladder again when his voice stopped me. "I think it would be best if I slept on the top bunk, after what just happened."

"I-I'll be fine, I won't be so careless this time."

"You better."

As I crawled into the bed, I felt that my face was still hot. I shifted uncomfortably and I wrapped the blankets around me tighter, trying to drive out what had just transpired. The lights shut off and I there was a creak beneath me as Syusuke climbed into the bed below me.

"Kami-sama..." he whispered so softly that I almost didn't hear, a rustling telling me that he had shifted in his bed.

After what seemed like forever, I knew that I wasn't going to be able to fall asleep. The screaming in my head wouldn't' stop, and it continued to echo over and over again. I couldn't take it anymore, I was terrified that somehow, the things I had killed would return to hunt me down.

"Syusuke-kun...?" I whimpered, afraid that I might wake him, and I heard another creak as he shifted.

"Hn?"

"Did I wake you...?"

"No."

"I can't sleep."

"Neither can I."

"I'm scared..." I whimpered and an extremely loud creaking told me that he had gotten off the bed. His eyes soon met mine in the dark and I saw that they were worried. "I hear screaming... there's so much screaming that-"

He sighed, stopping me. "You can sleep with me again tonight, if you want. I've already taken away your marriage rights so you don't have to worry about them anymore." I gave a tiny laugh and sat up, hopping off the top bunk and climbing into the bed, pressing myself against the wall. Syusuke climbed in after me and I tensed when he held me to him.

"A-ano... what are you doing...?" I yawned.

"Making sure that you don't get cold" he replied quietly and I shut my eyes, drifting off into sleep almost right away. But something was telling me that I had missed out on something important. And I had.

If I had paid closer attention to him before the lights turned off, I would have noticed that he was covering the bottom half of his face with his hand, and I would have noticed that he was blushing just as brightly as I had.

If I had paid closer attention, I would have known that his whispered 'Kami-sama' was because of me and that the fall had put us in a more intimate position than I thought.

If I had paid closer attention, I would have felt his lips crashing on to mine for a split second, making brief contact.

Before I fell asleep completely, a soft vibration in his chest was felt against my cheek.

"I'm so glad you didn't notice..." he laughed, "I'd die if you knew what just happened..."

To Be Continued...


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: Own nothing!!!!

Good Times

Chapter 10

firefox369

------Kagome-------

I whimpered when I felt the arms around me disappear and I snuggled closer to my temporary fireplace. There was a sigh and the arms wrapped around me again, something resting on my head. Why was I so tired?

"Fuji-senpai! Fuji-senpai!" a voice hollered, knocking on the door. "Practice starts in half an hour! Hurry up!"

I groaned when I felt another sigh and the the arms around me let go.

"Leave and I'll kill you" I grumbled under my breath.

"First, you didn't want me to stay, now you don't want me to leave. Make up your mind, Kagome-chan."

"Stay. Be a good boy and sit" I mumbled sleepily.

"You know that I can easily overpower you if I really want to."

"I don't care... stay..."

"No" he argued defiantly and I growled under my breath, grudgingly releasing him and letting him leave.

"Baka..." I murmured sleepily before falling back asleep. Soft laughter escaped his throat and he poked my cheek.

"I'm leaving now."

"...baka..."

"Hai, I'm a baka, aren't I?" he agreed and I nodded. I felt him ruffle my hair before walking to the door. "Loving someone who's fated to die nine days before my birthday..." he whispered and I groaned, ignoring him as he shut the door.

-------Fuji--------

"Eiji..." I mumbled, surprised, when I saw him outside my door. He had a sadistic smirk on his face.

"So, who is it?" he asked and I looked away, ignoring him, as I made my way to the courts. "Who's the one that's 'fated to die nine days before your birthday?'"

"Don't you ever know when you hit a sore subject, Eiji?"

"I can get away with it, though, so no."

"...Well, I'm still not going to tell you."

"Ahhh? Why not...?"

"Because then you'd get hurt, too, and we don't need you spacing out before nationals."

"Nya...?"

"Just go to practi-" I was interrupted when a scream split through the air.

"Kagome..." I whispered under my breath and was about to return to her but Eiji grabbed my arm.

"Where are you going?" he asked, confused. "We're going to be late for practice."

"I thought I heard someone scream..."

"I didn't hear anything... are you sure?" I nodded, but I was faltering. Had I really heard something? Had I really heard a scream? If I had, someone closer must have heard it and gone to help... "You can go and check, I'll tell sensei where you went. I still don't understand why we have to practice on a saturday, though... can't we get a day off?"

"Iie... I must have been hearing things..." I concluded, following Eiji onto the court and beginning the day's practice. "Wait. I forgot something... I'll be right back."

"Hurry up, then. Sensei won't like it if you're late to another practice and Inui's probably going to give you that one drink again."

"Those don't faze me."

"No, I mean _that_ drink again."

"Oh, yeah... _that_ one... don't worry, I'll be back."

------Normal-------

She was struggling, clawing at the arm that was pressing down on her throat, preventing any and all air from reaching her lungs. She coughed, arms slowly going limp.

"Syusuke..." she choked out weakly, a tear rolling down her cheek. What was going on...? Who was doing this to her? It hurt... so much... "...Syu...suke...!"

"I told you to calm down! You're forcing me to do this, Higurashi" a voice hissed in her ear and she groaned, suffocating. "I'll kill you if I have to, but I won't if you would just keep quite!" She nodded slowly and the person released her, dropping her to the ground. She coughed and gulped down breaths of air, trying to calm down her racing her heart. She looked up but was lifted and pressed against the wall, the side of her head pressed against it. There was a click and cold metal was shoved into her mouth. She gagged.

'Oh, Kami-sama, please save me...!'

The door suddenly clicked as it was unlocked and the person behind her growled menacingly, annoyed. He pressed her into the wall harder, placing a dangerous amount of pressure on her lungs. The door cracked open and light flooded into the room, since the shades were shut and no light could get it from the window, and the lights were also turned off.

"Sorry, Kagome, I forgot some-" Fuji stopped mid-sentence as he raised his head and stepped into the room. "Who are you?" he asked, confused, then noticed that a gun was in the trespasser's right hand, shoved inside Kagome's mouth. "What the hell are you doing to her...?"

"Move and I'll shoot" the man growled, pulling Kagome's head back by her hair. She coughed, panting now. Fuji shifted, trying to think of a way to free her from the man's grasp. Couldn't he tell that he didn't need a gun to kill her?

"Get off of me, demon!" Kagome hissed and Fuji's face clearly showed the confusion that was racing around in his mind. "If it's the jewel you want, you know that I won't give it to you!"

"Kagome-chan...?" Fuji asked, still a little confused.

"Get out of here!" she shouted, but it was muffled by the gun in her mouth. She groaned, squeezing her eyes shut, a drop of sweat rolling down her face. She panted a few times, waiting for Fuji's response. When she got none, she snapped her eyes open and looked at him, a burning gaze in her eyes. 'Sorry you have to see this, Syusuke...'

She focused her ki and shot out, aiming it at the youkai behind her. He cried out in pain and jumped back, avoiding the rest of her attack. He fired the gun at her and she formed a shield, the bullet stopping just before it reached her, and it uselessly fell to the ground.

"Syusuke!" she barked and he tensed. "Go to Ryoma's room and look in my bag for a bow. It should be in there." He ran off, not wanting to know what would happen if he didn't, and barged into Ryoma's room, breaking the door down. Saying a quick apology to no one in particular, he found a bag that said 'Kagome' on it and began to go through all of her belongings.

"For crying out loud, all she has are weapons!" he shouted, frustration sinking in. He hissed in pain when something cut him but he ignored it and pulled out a bow. "This better be it..." Racing back to his room, he saw that Kagome had the demon firmly pinned to the ground as she straddled him, keeping him from moving.

"Do you have it, Syusuke?" she demanded and he nodded. Something began to glow in front of him, changing shape until it had formed into an arrow. "Take it and shoot him, Syusuke, my power can only go so far."

He obeyed, taking the arrow and preparing it, but as he aimed, his hand began to tremble. What if he missed? What would happen if he hit Kagome instead...?

"Dammit, Syusuke! Fire!" she shouted, the glowing energy surrounding her beginning to fade away.

He wanted to fire, but the thought of killing someone, some_thing_, even if it had tried to kill Kagome, just stuck out in his mind as wrong. He didn't want to bloody his hands, he didn't want to _kill_.

The demon shoved her off and Kagome flew into Syusuke, landing on him as he made hard contact with the floor. The arrow on the bow suddenly disappeared and the demon smirked. Kagome yanked something off of her neck, stealthily placing it in Syusuke's hand.

"Forgive me..." she whispered, "I shouldn't have made you try to kill the demon, and I know that this will put you in grave danger, but this is necessary if you want to live to see another day."

"Wait, what are you going to do?"

"Be a good boy and be bait for a few moments."

"Oh... if that's- wait a minute... bait...? I don't want to be bait! Hey! Oi! Kago-"

"Entertain the demon for a few seconds while I do the exterminating" she explained, taking the bow from Syusuke's grasp and standing up. She was suddenly knocked to the side and she hit the ground. Hard. The youkai smiled, making his way over to her.

"Kagome!"

She didn't move.

Syusuke scowled and looked at the glowing jewel in his hand. So this was the jewel the demon was after, huh...? He looked around for a throwable object, and, finding none, took off his shoe and chucked it at the demon. It hit the demon and bounced off, landing on the floor with a soft thud. He hesitated before holding up the jewel.

"This is what you want, isn't it?" Fuji taunted. The demon was on him in an instant, pinning him against the wall and suffocating the life out of him.

"Baka ningen..." the demon growled, raising his clawed hand to make the finishing blow. Fuji flinched, but there was a roar of pain and the hands around his neck disappeared, leaving a panting Kagome in his sights instead.

"Are you alright, Syusuke?" she asked worriedly and he looked around, only finding a pile of ash where the demon had once stood.

"Never a dull moment when I'm with you, ne?"

"I'll take that as a 'yes'" Kagome laughed.

"I'm covered in dust."

"You're bleeding."

"I am? Oh, I am..."

"Here, let me take care of it..." she mumbled softly, falling to her knees beside him and taking his arm in her hand. She held her other hand above the large gash and laughed as she began to wipe the blood away with her sleeve.

"What?"

"Nothing, nothing. Seems like you were being careless and cut yourself on one of my items."

"They're lethal..." he grumbled.

"Always have to be prepared when there are demons after you" she explained.

"You weren't too prepared this time, were you?"

"Don't push your luck, Syusuke, I can make this hurt a lot more if I have to."

"Just saying the tru- ow!"

"Then don't say the truth. Heck, don't say anything." He was about to retaliate but shut his mouth, deciding against it. There was an extremely long, awkward silence that followed.

"...you scared me, Syusuke..." she finally whispered, breaking the silence, and Syusuke tensed at the sudden noise. Kagome rolled up her sleeves, preparing to do the second step. "I wasn't expecting you to come back..."

"I forgot something."

"Yeah. I figured that out when you walked in on us, but you really had me scared."

"Huh, didn't know that the 'Oh-So-Scary Kagome-sama' could be frightened."

"Stop joking, you know I scare easilly."

"Hai, hai..."

"Done, now get to practice! I'll be there in a little bit."

"Hai!"

------Ryoma-------

"Where the heck is he?!" Eiji whined, annoyed. "He said that he would be right back!!!"

"I'm here, I'm here!" a cheerful voice called, walking over and patting the top of my head with his racket. "What did I miss?"

"Inui's rant" I began.

"Okay, then, nothing too horrible."

"-about how he was going to make a new juice just for you."

"Whaaaa? But I'm here!"

"But you're late, senpai."

A tennis ball suddenly hit the back of my head and I turned around, seeing onee-chan's stalker friend standing there, racket in one hand and a tennis ball in the other, glaring at me.

"Hurry up and practice, Donkey!" she commanded.

"I'm not going to listen to you."

She served a ball at me and I was about to hit it when it shot upwards, straight at my face. I grunted as I dodged, but another ball came into view a split-second afterwards and hit me in the face, knocking me over.

"What the hell are you trying to do, baka!!!!!" I demanded, jumping to my feet, and she smirked, bouncing another tennis ball.

"C'mon, Ryoma, start practicing already" she taunted. "Maybe then you won't be beaten by someone like me, baaakaaa."

"Staaalker" I retorted.

Another ball hit my face and I was knocked over once again.

"Just hurry up and serve, dammit!" she shouted, annoyed.

"I can't because Fuji is my partner!"

She glared at Fuji and I heard him let out a tiny, nervous laugh before racing to his side of the court, a barrage of tennis balls hitting him as he did so. There was laughter but it quickly stopped and was replaced by yelps and shouts of surprise.

"Mind your own business, freaks!" Kagome shouted and I glanced over to see the boys' baseball team racing past, not wanting to face Kagome's wrath. I quickly served before I could get pummeled by another wave of balls.

'S-scary...'

To be Continued...

FMH (My bestest friend in the world) says: ...Funny...hehehehe...


	11. Chapter 11

Good Times

Chapter 11

firefox369

_"Inuyasha, what are you doing...?" I asked softly, wanting to know but too scared to find out. My back was pressed against a tree now and Inuyasha was still advancing, the stripes on his face still there, along with the red eyes with blue pupils. Why had I taken the beads off...? Why had I been so stupid?_

_He took another step and I, giving into my instincts, turned and fled, running away from him. I had forgotten my bow and arrows at the camp because I thought that I wouldn't need them, but even if I had one, I wouldn't want to hurt Inuyasha with them. The wind was knocked out of me as I hit a tree trunk and I cried out in both surprise and pain._

_"Inuyasha, what are you doing?! Stop!" I pleaded, but deep down, I knew that this was what I wanted before. Not now, though, I didn't want it anymore. I was panicking, unable to get out of his grasp. He threw me to the ground and pounced on me, straddling me, and I stared at him in horror. "Noo!!!! Inuyasha!!!!!! Stop!!!!!"_

_I was on the ground, covered in dirt. Tears slowly dripped down my face and I shivered, looking at my shredded clothing beside me. It hurt..._

_"Inuyasha..." I whimpered, "How could you...?"_

_I coughed a few times, hand clenched as I squeezed it against my chest. It was amazingly painful, and as I coughed again, I just wanted to die instead of suffer the pain that I was feeling._

_"Onii-chan...!" I whispered, "onii-chan... where are you...? ...Help..."_

"Kagome!" a voice whispered harshly and my eyes snapped open as I sat up. "Are you okay?"

I slowly nodded, not really sure myself. I could still feel the pain all over my body, inside my lungs, but it slowly faded away as I calmed down my racing heart.

"...-d..."

"I didn't hear you, Kagome..."

"...Scared..."

"Why are you scared now...?"

"He... he r-... he ra..." I stammered but Fuji understood and placed a finger to my lips, silencing me.

"It's okay, Kagome, no need to cry, it's over now."

I shook my head. "No, it'll never be over, they'll always come looking for me, for the jewel... it will never end!"

"Calm down, you're going to wake everyone up!"

There was a knock on the door and Momo's sleepy voice was heard, muffled, but still heard.

"Are you okay...?" he yawned, "I heard some shouting and I thought that something happened..." I stood up to answer the door but Syusuke grabbed my arm, yanking me back against his chest. His arms wrapped around me, keeping me in place. 'What are you doing?!' I was about to hiss but seeing his eyes open made me stop. "Hello...? Anyone there...?"

"Syusuke-kun, what are you-"

His lips came crashing down on mine and my eyes widened in surprised. What was going on...? I tried to move my head away but his hand kept it firmly in place. As I struggled to break my arms free, I realized just how much stronger he was than me. The kiss was rough and demanding and I began to tremble in his hold, terrified once again. The color drained from my face and I tensed, knowing that I wouldn't be able to escape.

The sound of retreating footsteps and grumbles were heard.

"I promise I won't do anything..." he mumured softly against my lips but that didn't do anything to comfort me. In fact, it just scared me more, scared me to the state that I was crying again. Why was I always crying? I didn't like crying... it made me feel weak and vulnerable, but here I was, crying again anyways. Syusuke relaxed his grip, giving me more space to move and squirm, but I was afraid to in case he would do something more drastic. I just let the tears fall, staring blankly at the wall behind him as I stood and shivered in his arms. "I'm sorry" he whispered, turning me around so that I faced him completely, "I didn't mean to scare you, I'm sorry..."

"...Let... let go of me..." I stated, voice shaky. He obeyed and I fell to the floor on my knees in a daze. He wasn't the same as Inuyasha, I knew that, but every time... every time someone got too close those memories came back to me. The terrifying memories of that night would always come back and haunt me. But Syusuke had listened and let go, hadn't he? That proved that he couldn't be nearly as bad as Inuyasha in his full-blooded demon form... he still had a mind of his own... He wasn't controlled by some petty instincts like Inuyasha... I saw him reach out to touch me and I flinched. He pulled back when he saw my reaction, hesitating.

"Kagome, I-"

"...don't touch me..." I whispered softly, "Please... don't touch me..."

His arm dropped to his side and he climbed up the ladder to the top bunk, placing himself under the messy blankets and facing away from me. He had slept there earlier, and that was when I got the nightmare... every time I slept with him my dreams were peaceful, but away from him my dreams were hectic, haunted by my past memories and adventures.

"You might want to go to sleep or else you won't be able to get up tomorrow" he stated and I slowly nodded.

"H-hai..." After climbing into bed, lying on my back, I looked at the bunk above me, wondering what Syusuke was thinking and what was going through his mind. I touched my lips with my finger and noticed that I was blushing. 'What the...? Why am I...?' I gritted my teeth and grabbed a handful of my hair, gripping it tightly in my hand. 'What the hell was he thinking? The baka...'

Little did I know, the same exact thought had gone through his own mind, as well.

The next morining I woke up when a line of light shining through the window hit my face. There was a groan from above me and I knew that Fuji had woken up as well. He got off the top bunk and yawned as he opened the shades. He stared out the window and stretched just like he normally did, acting as if nothing had ever happened.

"It's a nice day today, ne?" he greeted and I grunted, pulling the covers over my head.

"Too nice..." I grumbled. "So nice that it burns my eyes..."

I heard him laugh. "Well, if you would open your eyes then the burning would end quickly and it would be done with."

"I don't like burning."

He sighed and shrugged. "Suit yourself. I'm going to go to practice so I'll leave whether you want the shades open or not to you. Shut them if you don't." I heard the rustling of clothes as he changed and I covered my ears from the sound. There was the soft 'clunk' as he lifted his tennis supplies and I knew that it was safe to open my eyes if I really wanted to, which I didn't. "Oh, Kagome?"

"Hn?"

"About yesterday..." I visibly flinched under the covers and I could hear him shifting uncomfortably at my reaction. "I'm really sorry." He opened the door and walked out as I thought of something to say.

"Apology accepted" I mumbled in response right before the door clicked shut. I didn't know if he heard it, but a small 'heh' told me that he had. I smiled to myself under the covers and yawned. '...yep... apology accepted. I have no clue why considering you forced yourself on me, but- who am I kidding? I _do_ know why I accepted it... heh heh... so embarrassing...'

There was knock on the door and I scowled, getting out of bed. I answered it and Sango shoved herself into my room, a box in her hands.

"Special delivery for a Higurashi Kagome!" she chirped and I smiled. Finally.

-----Fuji------

My smile was unusually happy as I made my way to the courts, and I saw the underclassmen whispering amongst themselves as I walked past, pointing and saying things like 'Look, look, it's Fuji-senpai!' Ignoring them all, I walked into the courts and began to stretch, getting ready for the suicidal warm-up schedule Inui had prepared for us.

"You look awfully happy today, Fuji-senpai" Momo grumbled and I looked at him.

"Did you not get enough sleep?" I asked, faking confusion, and he began to grumble under his breath. I laughed, enjoying his suffering. 'Maybe I should make Kagome shout more often in the middle of the night just to see this every day.'

A ball hit me in the back of my head and I stood up. "Hai, Kagome-chan, I'm ready..." I sighed as I turned around and I saw her there. This was one of the first times that I had seen her wear her own clothing and I found myself staring. The white t-shirt she had on loosely clung to her body and showed off all of her curves. The jeans she wore did the same, and as I looked at her, I was finding myself thinking bad thoughts and I shook my head, turning away.

"Onee-chan gave you some of her spare clothing" Ryoma stated.

"Hai, she did. I'm not acustomed to these anymore, though, they're much tighter than the clothing that I borrowed from you guys..."

"That makes sense, men's clothing aren't as tight, and personally, I don't want them to be."

Kagome laughed and she ruffled Ryoma's hair. "Where's Kitty?" she asked and Ryoma pointed.

"There."

"'kay, thanks, Donkey."

"I don't like that name."

"Like I care. You're sticking with it because _I_ like it."

"I prefer 'mini-roh' a lot more."

"Fine, that'll work too" Kagome sighed, walking past me and to the basket of tennis balls. She picked one up and searched for the person she decided to torture today. "There!" she grunted as she threw the ball in the air and served it. It hit him in the gut and he grunted as he fell over. He hissed and glared at her, annoyed.

"Woman-" he began but Kagome ignored him, picking up another ball and serving it at him. He hopped to his feet and returned it with ease, using the 'Snake shot'. Kagome scowled and returned it with practiced accuracy.

"I suggest you refine that move, Kitty. It's just a simpler version of the 'Buggy Whip Shot', Baaaakaaa!"

"Damn woman, I'll refine it when I feel like refining it!" he growled, returning it.

"Which is _now_!" Kagome snarled, running up to meet it and getting in an all too familiar stance.

"Kaidoh's dead..." I mumbled under my breath and Ryoma showed his agreement by nodding.

"I know that stance too... my dad is stupid and uses that move with me all the time. It's a pain in the butt. Literally."

Kagome hit the ball back and it landed behind Kaidoh, but because of the spin of the ball, bounced back forwards and hit Kaidoh in the back of the knee, making him topple forwards.

"No, you're just so short that it hits you there."

"Shut up."

"Come on, Kitty! Get up! If you're so conident about your stupid moves then that shouldn't have happened!" Kagome shouted and Kaidoh got to his feet, glaring at her even more. He was about to run at her, ready to just about kill her, but Tezuka stopped him before he could get very far. Kaidoh gave one last death glare before going back to his side of the court.

-----Normal-----

"Alright guys, thirty laps!" coach Ryuzaki barked and everyone stopped stretching to begin their laps around the court as Inui stood by the sidelines with his timer, judging everyone's speed.

45...46...47...48...

The regulars passed by.

49...

A few more people made it past.

50...

A few stragglers ran past Inui.

50.55

"Stop, you're done" Inui shouted to the people that were left behind. They cringed at what was to come. "Stand over there in a straight line for me, please."

"Oh no..." Horio groaned, along with everyone else, but nothing happened. Inui didn't pull out any special juice or anything, they just stood there and watched as the line grew longer and longer until only the regulars were left. That's when Ryuzaki Sensei appeared, a person following close behind her, hiding in her shadow.

"Okay, guys, I'm going to be out of town for a few days so say hello to your substitute."

"I have a bad feeling about this..." Oishi commented as the regulars passed the line of people once again.

"... please say this isn't happening..." Ryoma stated.

"Nya..." Eiji whined.

"We're all going to die..." Momo whispered.

Kagome stepped out from behind Ryuzaki, a huge grin plastered on her face.

"Hi! I'm Kagome. I just learned about this a few seconds ago so please go easy on me!"

There were a few sighs of relief from the lined up tennis players, but shouts of "Nooooo!!!" were heard from some of the regulars.

"I don't want to!!!!" Eiji shouted. "I had to live through her training for a year!!! I DESERVE A BREAK!!!!!"

"I survived a _day_! I think I should be treated with some sort of privilege!" Ryoma whined as he passed by and Kagome heard him.

"'Kay, Ryoma, you asked for it!" she hollered after him.

"Fuji, why don't you do something? She's your temporary roommate until her bed gets placed in Ryoma's room!"

Fuji smiled. "Because I enjoy listening to your complaints."

"But she'll kill _you_ too!" Kawamura informed.

"I'll handle the abuse as long as I get to see some of the others suffering."

"50.67 seconds, regulars! You're done!"

"BUT WE ONLY HAD ONE LAP LEFT!!!!!" Momo exclaimed as he stopped and followed the others into the long line of tennis players.

"Boo hoo, stop your whining!" Kagome hollered over them and they obeyed. "Okay, first of all, I'm sure you've all seen me wandering around and picking on the regulars, right?"

There were nods to show that they had.

"Well, don't think I'm going to go any easier just because the majority of you are _not _regulars. You first twenty right here, yes, you. Don't give me those eyes, they won't work. You couldn't make it past the court on your first lap. 100 push-ups. Now. The next 4, 90 push-ups. Get started. Next five, 80. You nine, give me 70. You six, give me 60. You eight, give me 50. Regulars."

"Please say 40, please say 40, please say 40..." Oishi whispered under his breath.

"Not going to happen, Oishi..." Eiji whimpered.

"150. It was the last stinkin' lap, guys, for crying out loud, it was the _last, stinkin' lap!_ Those .67 seconds could mean the difference between hitting a tennis ball and completely missing it!"

"But-"

"Get down and give me 150!"

"Yes ma'am..." Eiji grumbled, starting on them. Everyone else followed soon after. Kagome began to walk the down the line and stopped right in front of three of the regulars: Ryoma, Fuji and Eiji. Fuji smiled as the other two cringed.

"You asked for some sort of privilege, right?"

"No."

"Stop lying."

"I'm not."

"Stop lying before I make you do extra push-ups."

"I asked for some sort of privilege."

"...add on another 50."

"What?!?! Why?!"

"25 for lying, and the other 25 as your 'privilege'" she replied before walking away.

"Why didn't she do anything to you, Eiji? You practically screamed your complaint" Ryoma grunted.

"Oh, that's because I made up for it ahead of time!" he chirped.

"What did you do?"

"Well, my last day with her I went up to her and said 'Am I going to be seeing you again?' and she said 'Probably.' So I made a deal with her. I would do extra pushups for her that day and she would deduct them from the amount that she would give me in the future!"

"How many extra did you do...?"

"200!"

"In a row?"

"Nope! I put them together in groups of ten!"

"Smart."

"Although it probably didn't help much... my complaint probably lowered the count to 100... heh heh..."

"You've got another 5 minutes! Hurry it up before I add on more!"

"AAAhhhhhh! I don't want to die!!!!" Momo cried and Kaidoh glared at him before a tiny smirk made its way on his face.

"Oops" he stated innocently as he shove Momo over. "My bad."

Momo shot to his feet, shouting at Kaidoh and Kagome looked at him.

"Momo, start your 150 over."

"I hate you, Kaidoh..." he whimpered.

"I know."

"Tezuka!" Kagome called.

"Hai."

"Come 'ere for a sec."

As Tezuka stood up, whispers of 'good luck' were heard. He ignored them all and made his way past the line of people and towards Kagome.

"I hope Kagome-sama doesn't kill him" Eiji murmured.

To Be Continued...


	12. Chapter 12

Disclaimer: OWN NOTHING

Good Times

Chapter 12

firefox369

------Normal-------

Tezuka walked up to Kagome, his form towering over her as she looked up at him.

"How's your elbow?" she asked and Tezuka hesitated before answering.

"Well enough" he replied but Kagome looked doubtful.

"Let me take a look at it" she commanded and he obeyed giving her the injured arm. "So the doctor said that it was safe to play tennis again, right?" Tezuka nodded and her hand hovered above the elbow. "Well, he was right about you playing tennis again, but I wouldn't be too confident about it if you want to continue. My training is lethal to the injured. Go through your normal regimen until it heals completely."

"I can handle your training, Kagome."

"No, you can't. Trust me. If you don't believe me, though, ask Eiji, he's been through it. I treat everyone in a certain group similarly, but I won't risk any casualties."

"...hai..."

She smiled. "I'm only cruel to those that I dislike, or to those that I know can improve, which is everyone, but if they're in a state where my training might make them worse, I don't force them to do anything. If you absolutely have to you can go through my training, but I know that there are more ways to improve than what I'll put you through."

"Can you make my training schedule a little more challenging, at least?"

"Sure. Sixty laps around the court instead of 30, and instead of push-ups, practice playing with your weaker side. Being able to play tennis well with both hands is always a perk, and it makes it more difficult for the other tennis players to predict how you'll hit the ball. Also, do 100 sit-ups and practice your jumps. I'm planning on making you one hell of a tennis player, so get ready. Why don't you do your last thirty laps for now?"

Tezuka nodded and began to run around the court again as everyone else stared at him in envy. Kagome ignored their looks of distaste and continued their practice. When Tezuka began playing with his dominant hand, she chucked a tennis ball at him to get his attention. He looked at her and she pointed at her arm. Understanding, he hesitated before placing the racket in his weaker hand, holding it up awkwardly. He swung it a few times and Kagome smiled. Momo would have an easy time winning aginst Tezuka today.

After a few extremely short rallies, Tezuka glared at the hand the racket was in in distaste. Kagome smirked. Losing to Momo was a blow to his pride. A _very _big blow to his pride.

When practice had finally ended, Kagome was satisfied to see all the students walking out of the court groaning and complaining about various aches and pains.

"Regulars, come see me after you're done changing" she called after them and a few whimpers could be heard. "I can't be that scary" she laughed to herself. "Okay, maybe I can, but that's beside the point."

After all the regulars had gathered around her, she took a deep breath, slowly letting it out. Eiji began to lower himself closer to the ground, slowly getting into the push-up position.

"Get up, Eiji" Kagome laughed and Eiji hesitated before obeying, "No more push-ups for today." Eiji gave her a look that clearly said 'I don't believe you.' Kagome ignored it and looked at the arrangement of people around her. "By the way, how's your acrobatics play coming along?"

"Good."

"I'll have to see how much you've improved later on. Ryoma."

"Hai."

"Where's my juice?"

"uh..."

"Bring it to me next practice. Or else. Oishi, get some sort of protection on your racket. scraping it on the ground like that can't be healthy for it. Kawamura, get a stronger string tension. You're probably going to kill that racket once I'm through with you. Kitty, refine those shots of yours. Momo, make your dunk smash a tiny bit stronger, but try not to kill anyone in the process. Fuji, try not to be late again or I'll have to give you some 'special privileges' like Ryoma. Tezuka, meet me here tonight. I'll help you with your new schedule. Okay, that's all, now go to class."

-------After School-------

Kagome waited by the tennis courts for the captain of the tennis team and she sighed, trying to calm herself down. She was nervous. What if she overdid it and collapsed again? She shook her head to clear her mind, she didn't have time to worry about that right now.

"I'm here."

Kagome opened her eyes and watched as Tezuka approached her. Picking up her tennis racket, she made her way in to the court. She placed the racket with her left hand, her weaker one, and watched as Tezuka did the same, except with his right hand.

"I'm going to give you an easy serve. Hit the ball back as well as you can." He nodded and she served. He ran to catch up with the ball and hit it back. The ball flew over the net and Kagome caught it, a tiny smile on her face. "Not bad for your first day" she stated and she served again, over and over again until the ball was returned as fast as it would have been if it were his stronger arm. "That's enough for today, I'll start using some faster and harder serves tomorrow, but you seem to know how to make a simple return now."

"Hai."

Kagome watched as Tezuka left the courts, gazing at his back until he disappeared. She then collapsed to her knees, trying to calm herself down. But she couldn't. Her heart was beating like crazy and Kagome couldn't understand why, she hadn't done that much exercising, so why was she like this? Looking at her arm, she could see it shaking and she swore under her breath, stifling a cough.

"Kagome? Are you here?" a voice called and she tried to control her heart rate even harder, forcing it to go under control but it wouldn't. Her vision turned fuzzy and she once again swore under her breath as she leaned forward, dizzy. She collapsed to the ground with a 'thump' and her racket crashed against the ground alerting Syusuke, who was frantically searching for her. He raced to her side and shook her, but when she didn't move, he picked her up and walked off, deciding what to do.

------Kagome-------

Damp. My forehead was damp, and my entire body felt cold. I tiredly opened my eyes to see wood and I knew that I had been placed on the bottom bunk of a bunk-bed. Everything was dark so I figured that it was night, too. How long had I been asleep? What day was it? What time was it?

Turning my head, the towel began to slide off and I put it back in place. It was slightly lopsided but I didn't really care.

"Syusuke...?" I whispered and there was a grunt in response. "What time is-oh, nevermind." I looked at the glowing red clock on the stand and sighed. It was 3:00 AM. "You've been awake this entire time?"

"...sadly..." he yawned, dropping his head on the bed beside my pillow.

"Why?"

"I was afraid that you were going to die..." he replied tiredly, beginning to doze off.

"Then why didn't you bring me to the infirmary or a hospital?"

"...If I did then there would be visiting hours, and I don't like visitng hours..."

I laughed, deciding to stop asking questions then. I was still kind of cold but I fought it off and shut my eyes, falling into a light slumber. Syusuke's steady breathing beside me was what had lulled me into the state of sleep I had entered, and I slowly began to enter a deeper sleep. When I woke up, it was because of a yelp that forced its way from Syusuke's mouth at 6:00 AM that same day. He had spent so much time taking care of me that he hadn't gotten enough sleep and he ran into the bathroom door which, as I deciphered from his mumbling, he 'swore was left open'.

"Are you alright?" I asked, trying not to laugh at his haggard state and he slowly nodded, reaching for the knob and opening the bathroom door.

"I'm fine..." he mumbled, then hissed as he accidentally kicked the door frame with his bare foot. "...Okay, maybe not...!"

"Come here" I commanded, not able to hold in my laughter and he obeyed, limping the entire way. I looked at his foot, and seeing nothing wrong, sighed and touched his forehead. I had learned a nifty little trick from a scroll that I had found in my grandfather's storage room and it came in huge handy. I let my energy course through my fingers and into Syusuke, rejuvenating him for the time being.

"Feeling better?" I questioned and he nodded before opening the window.

"Its not exactly the most beautiful of mornings, but 'good morning', Kagome" he stated, staring out the window. I scooted out of bed and walked over to his side, looking out the window with him.

"I'm assuming coach wouldn't want you all to get sick before nationals, ne?"

"Probably not."

"...practice is moved to the gym. Tell the others not to bring anything but their rackets. No balls needed today, I'll bring some."

"Hai." He grabbed a change of clothes and walked into the bathroom. Once he was done, he walked back out and grabbed his tennis supplies, preparing for practice. "Bye, Kagome-chan, see you in a little bit."

I nodded and waved as he walked out the door before looking down at my make-shift necklace that held the completed jewel and sighing.

"I'm a baka, ne, Shikon?" I laughed quietly.

-------Practice--------

"Alright, regulars, practice today is this!" I announced, lifting up a carton of eggs. "Bounce the egg on your racket without breaking it. This will help you with your control. Those of you that can play with both hands-" I stared coldly at Ryoma and Tezuka, "-must be able to do the exercise _with_ both hands. Got that?"

"Hai!" they shouted at the same time and I handed out the eggs one by one. I smiled when I saw Eiji doing the exercise with ease, bouncing and playing with the egg as he hit it from different angles and positions.

"Eiji!" I shouted and he stopped, catching the egg and looking at me. I served an egg at him with ease and it splattered as it hit the ground at his feet. I pointed at the racket, showing that the egg hadn't cracked as it connected when no yolk was seen. "Your next assignment."

"Hai...!" he whimpered. Glancing around, I saw them all doing it fairly well and I sighed, knowing that it would be a little too easy for them all.

"Tezuka, Ryoma, switch hands!" I barked and they obeyed. The eggs splattered, bathing the strings on their rackets in broken shells and yolk. "Everyone else, practice your serves with them!" The sound of eggs crashing against various rackets was music to my ears. "Mada mada dane" I teased as I walked past Ryoma. "You may be doing it, but is that how you would really hold a racket in a game?"

He scowled at me before answering. "No, but I'd like to see you try."

I quirked an eyebrow before grabbing an egg and taking his racket. I bounced it against the racket, looking at him as I did so. "As you were saying?" I asked, throwing the racket to my other hand as the egg was in midair and I continued to bounce it. "Looks like you've got some practicing to do, Min-'Roh."

"Show off..." he mumbled as I handed the racket back to him.

"Nu-uh, you asked for it, Donkey!" I replied, beginning to observe the other regulars. I walked past Syusuke and he stopped, lowering his racket and watching as I did so. I stopped, back turned to him, and took a deep breath, slowly letting it out. "Give me 50 push-ups, Syusuke. Just because I walk by doesn't mean you get to stop practicing."

"...hai..."

I pressed my hand against the shikon jewel that was safely hidden beneath my shirt and felt it beginning to react.

'Is that really what you wish...?' a voice asked in my mind and I shook my head, shoving it out.

'No... it's not...'

"Kagome-sensei, school is going to start soon" someone called out and I glanced at my watch to see that it was indeed almost time for school to begin.

"Alright, clean-up, guys! Get out the mops and buckets, kiddies, and get to work!" I shouted and there was suddenly pandemonium inside the gym as various people did different jobs and errands.

When clean-up had finished I let out a large amount of air and dismissed the team members, letting them go to class. Syusuke stayed behind, though, and we stood there staring at eachother for a very long time.

"Yes?" I asked and he shook his head, slowly turning around.

"Iie, it's nothing..." he mumbled.

I noticed that Ryoma had returned and knew immediately that he had witnessed the uncomfortable exchange of language we had just had. Syusuke ignored him and left the room while Ryoma stood there, completely confused.

"What was that about?" he asked and I stared at him.

"...nothing" I mumbled and walked away, leaving him alone in the gym to do whatever he had come back to do.

-----Ryoma-----

I decided to make a phone call to onee-chan later to ask her about Kagome. She would most likely know why Kagome was acting so strangely since yesterday. Kagome's changed attitude was bothering me and it made me uncomfortable. When I did call her, she began to laugh at me, calling me an idiot for not knowing anything about her at all. I eventually got frustrated and started shouting into the phone, demanding to get an answer when Fuji randomly came by and grabbed the phone from my hands, beginning to speak to Sango onee-chan.

"Uh-huh, yeah... she did, and I'm just as curious as Ryoma about what's going-" he suddenly held the phone away from his ear and I could clearly hear Sango screaming in awe and frustration.

_"How the hell can you not know?!?! You've known her for what, 4 years?!?!"_

"We don't talk about her family or her past very often..." he mumbled in response and Sango's screaming stopped.

_"...then I suppose that's a good thing, talking about it always seems to make her upset..."_

"Would you mind telling me what this is about now?... Oh... I see... okay... sure, I'll pass it on to Ryoma. 'Kay, thanks. Bye."

He set the phone down and looked at me, a grin of satisfaction on his face. I scowled.

"Well? spit it out" I commanded.

"Tomorrow's her birthday" he answered and I felt a prick of confusion tugging at my mind.

"And that's bad... why?"

"Tomorrow is also the day that her father and onii-chan died" he replied simply, walking away right after and going back to his dorms. My scowl grew worse.

"...but tomorrow is the perfectual tournament..." I mumbled, "she can't go around acting like this..."

Shrugging it off, though, I yawned and stretched, going back to my dorm to sleep. There was a slight sense of pity in the back of my mind as I thought of Tezuka and how late his private practices with Kagome went. Ignoring that, though, I went to bed without much thought and fell asleep the moment my head touched the pillow.

------Kagome------

"Okay, that's enough for tonight" I stated, twirling and balancing the racket on my pointer finger. "You're a much faster learner than I expected."

"Don't underestimate me" he replied as he placed his racket inside his tennis bag.

"I didn't completely underestimate you. I underestimated your learning capabilities, but overestimated your tennis skills."

"Is that an insult?"

I shrugged. "Take it however you want to, Tezuka Ducky-kun, I don't really care."

"..."

A smile formed on my face and I slung the racket over my shoulder, making my way back to Ryoma's dorm. Who knows, maybe my bed had finally come in.

To Be Continued...


	13. Chapter 13

Disclaimer: I own nothing other than the story line!!! If the storyline is extremely similar to another story's then I'm really sorry, but everything in this was what I came up with!

Good Times

firefox369

Chapter 13

-----Kagome-----

"Good morning, everyone!!!" I sang as I stepped in to the tennis courts. I could feel Ryoma's anything but good gaze burning a hole through my back and I sighed, turning around to face him. "I said 'good morning'. Besides that, you're late. Where were you?" I asked and he grunted in response before walking past me, completely ignoring me. The butt munch.

"Good morning, Coach" the other regulars stated as they walked past and began their warm-ups. I nodded curtly, watching as they then began their matches and commenting every once in a while. Picking up my racket, I made my way towards the basket of tennis balls and picked one up, preparing to do my part in the coaching (which involved injuring the regulars) when I heard a small meow from behind me. Lowering the racket, I turned to see a white cat with a black tip on its tail and black paws.

"...Kirara?" I asked slowly and the cat meowed in response, scratching at the wire fence. Not being able to break it, it grew annoyed and hissed, bursting into flames. "Whoa!" I exclaimed, running out of the tennis courts and tackling her to the ground before she could be seen. "Bad kitty!" I hissed and she shrunk.

"Mew!"

"Bad, bad, bad, bad, bad, kitty!" I chided and she blinked owlishly, giving me the most innocent look ever.

"Mew?"

I sighed, scratching the back of my head. "Where's Sango when you need her?" I grumbled, standing up straight and watching the regulars continue their practicing before turning back to look at the demon cat in front of me. Kirara sat down and scratched herself for a few seconds before staring at me once again.

"What am I supposed to do with you?" I groaned.

"Mew!"

"Go play by yourself for a little bit, will you? I've got a practice to run."

"Mew" she cried, cocking her head to the side.

"Only for about an hour, I swear that's it! I'll figure out what to do with you after that" I reasoned and Kirara stood up, trotting away. Looks like she agreed to do what I told her to do for the time being. "No more than an hour!" I hollered after her and she mewed back in response.

"Now that the kitty is gone, time to start pelting people with tennis balls!" I grunted, stretching and walking back in to the courts.

----Ryoma----

After practice, I changed into the school uniform and walked back out of the changing room, silent as usual. There was a meow from behind me and I turned around to see none other than Karupin. My eyes widened in surprise and I stepped closer to him.

"Come here, Karupin!" I called softly and he looked at me, blinking a few times before running off. "Karupin!" I shouted, dropping my tennis supplies and chasing after him. The stupid cat.

"Ryoma, where are you going?!" Horio called after me but I completely ignored him and continued to chase after my cat until he ran through a bush that I knew I wouldn't be able to follow him through. Again. Stupid.

The first bell rang and I looked back at the school, debating whether to chase after Karupin or not. Glancing back at the bushes, I shrugged and stepped back a few steps before charging and hopping over it. Screw school. I had a cat to catch.

----Kagome----

"Where is that stupid cat!!!" I screamed in frustration, practically ripping my hair out.

"Ryoma, where are you going?!" I heard Horio shout and a cat raced past me from under a bush a few seconds later. I followed it with my eyes and, not knowing what to do, decided to chase after it. Maybe it had something to do with why Ryoma was running around searching for something.

"Come here, kitty!" I panted, racing off school grounds as I chased after it. Once I knew that I was reaching my limit, I immediately stopped and calmed my breathing down. Okay. I was good now.

"Kirara!" I laughed when the demon suddenly came in to sight as she turned a corner and I saw the other cat from before appear behind her a few moments later. I raised an eyebrow at the sight, greatly amused. Did the little demon kitty finally find a boyfriend? Sango would be so proud of her once she found out!!!

"Mew!"

"Nya!"

"Mew!!!!"

"Nyaaaa!"

They both walked over to me and sat down, staring up at me with huge, begging eyes. I had no clue why the other cat was staring at me like that, but Kirara seemed like she wanted me to get her some food.

"Meeeeewww!!! Mew!"

"Nyaaa!!!"

MEW! MEW MEW MEW MEW MEW!!!!

"NYAAAAA!!!"

"Okay! Okay! Just shut up!!!" I groaned, slapping my hand against my forehead and shaking it, "God, you two are so loud and annoying."

"Mew!"

I sighed and dug around in my pockets to see how much money I had. I pulled out three one dollar bills and a dime and sighed again. My last bit of money was about to be spent on two cats that were too smart for their own good.

"Nyaa!!"

"Shut up!!!!" I shouted, plugging my ears and charging into the nearest grocery store. I had to get away from the two cats. A bell on the door jingled as I walked in and I made my way down a random aisle. The door bell jingled again and I heard a meow from behind me. I turned around to see the two cats running in to the store and following me. The stalkers!!! I swerved and ran down another aisle. They caught up a few seconds later and I walked faster. They followed close behind, not letting me leave their sights.

I stumbled into the pet aisle and I skidded to a stop, picking up the nearest can of cat food and racing to the cashier, still trying to get rid of the two stalker cats that wouldn't shut up.

"That'll be three dollars and nine cents" the cashier informed after ringing it up and my jaw dropped open. No way in hell did it cost three dollars and nine cents to pay for a single can of cat food. _One_ can, not _five_. Looking down, I groaned. I just _had_ to pick the most expensive one out there, didn't I?

"Miss? It'll be-"

"Three dollars and nine cents" I whimpered, pulling out the small of amount of money that I had and handing it over.

"Okay, three ten..." she mumbled, typing it in. "And your change comes to one cent. Here you go, miss!" she chirped, dropping the penny in the palm of my hand and I whined like a puppy before picking up the can of cat food and walking out the door, moping the entire time. I had spent my lunch money on a can of cat food that was a large as a tape measure.

"Rip off..." I grumbled, squatting down and grudgingly opening the can of food.

"Mew!!!"

"Nyyaaa!!!"

I placed the food on the street and watched as the two cats began to eat, making sure to glare at them as coldly as I could. The scowl quickly faded and I whimpered, dropping my head. I can't believe it. I had been manipulated by two animals that couldn't make noises other than 'mew' and 'nya'.

"Karupin!!!!" a voice shouted and I looked up, hoping that the cat in front of me would do the same. It didn't. "Karupin!!!!!" Ryoma came running around a corner, panting as he hollered the name and I looked at the cat in front of me.

"Hey, Karupin, your owners calling" I stated and the cat looked up at me, licking the fur around its mouth before lowering its head again and continuing to eat. The annoying cat. It wasn't even mine!!!

"Karupin!!!!!!!"

"Hear that, kitty? Go back to your master!" I growled, pointing at Ryoma and the cat _glared _at me. _GLARED!_ I growled lowly, clenching my hand into a fist and biting my lower lip in frustration. I began to tremble with barely contained anger and hatred, and resentment. Couldn't forget resentment. Oh! And self-pity! Yep, self-pity.

I pointed at Ryoma again.

"Go" I commanded and the cat looked at me before standing up and beginning to walk towards Ryoma. It sat down and looked both ways before crossing the street. That was a reeaaallly smart cat Ryoma had there. There was suddenly a screeching noise as a car came swerving around the corner and straight towards Karupin.

"Karupin!!" Ryoma shouted in surprise and I swore under my breath. Sure, I hated the cat, but I didn't want it to _die_. I raced into the middle of the street and tackled the cat, rolling out of the way of the car a split second before I was run over. The car screeched to a halt and the driver ran out, panicking.

"Oh my god, are you alright?!" the man exclaimed and I looked up and blinked, surprised.

"...Nanjiroh?" I asked and his eyes widened.

"Kagome."

I gritted my teeth before hopping to my feet and throwing Karupin at Ryoma and tackling Nanjiroh over.

"You stupid old geezer!!!!" I screamed, smacking him over and over again. "LEARN HOW TO DRIVE, DAMMIT!!!!! YOU ALMOST KILLED ME, ALONG WITH YOUR CAT! DAMMIT, YOU COULD'VE KILLED RYOMA IF HE HAD TRIED TO GET KARUPIN OUT OF YOUR DAMNED WAY, DAMMIT!"

"Language, Kagome" he chided and I smacked him as hard as I could one last time before standing up and stomping on him once. I turned around, grumbling under my breath and storming off in the direction of the school. Today was _not_ a good day. I got tricked by two cats, I missed the first half hour or so of school (possibly more), and I almost got hit by a car only to find out that the person driving it was my _**best friend's dad. **__**Definitely **_**not a good day at all**

"Hey," Ryoma hollered, running after me. I turned to look at him, a huge scowl on my face. He stepped back a little, my glare making him a little nervous.

"What?" I growled.

"Thank you" he stated hesitantly and I forced a smile.

"No problem" I grumbled, continuing to glare. "Damned cat"

He looked own at Karupin, then back at me. "My thoughts exactly" he stated bitterly. "He always runs away from home."

"He enjoys making me _suffer_" I mumbled. "Kirara! Get over here!" She obeyed and hopped on to my shoulder, mewing. "Don't you 'mew' me, you're going to regret making me waste all of my money on you two, got that? If it weren't for you I'd still have lunch money!" I complained, completely ignoring Ryoma as I walked back to school.

"You're late" the teacher stated monotonously as I walked in and I glared.

"My cat ran away" I growled, making him flinch at the tone of my voice. I plopped in to my desk and stabbed my paper with my pencil, extremely annoyed about what had just occurred. "Stupid cats, never shutting up and stalking me all day. They just _had_ to stalk _me_, didn't they? Why couldn't they stalk someone else? Then stupid Nanjiroh almost runs me over. What the hell was he thinking, driving that fast? He should get his license torn to tiny little pieces so he can't drive anymore. The idiot. Moron. Baaaakaaaaaa!!!!"

"Higurashi."

"Yes?"

"Shut up."

"Now the stupid teacher is telling me to shut up because I'm grumbling about how bad my day is.. stupid teacher. Stupid, stupid, stupid teacher... Doesn't know that I don't even have a lunch and that I only have a penny... I need a job but I can't get one and-"

There was a knock on the door and I raised my head as the door slid open. Ryoma came in, holding a cloth that looked like it held a very large bento. I growled under my breath, wanting to crawl into a corner and die.

"Is Kagome onee-chan in this class?" he asked and I perked up. 'Onee-chan?' Since when did he start calling me that?

"Higurashi, raise your hand" the teacher commanded and I obeyed.

"Right here, Mini-'roh" I stated and he walked in to the room, placing the bento on my desk.

"From my cousin. She made it for you as an apology for my dad almost running you over this morning. He doesn't even have a permit."

"Figured that out" I sighed, taking the bento from him. "Tell her I said 'Thank you'."

"Sure, onee-chan" he replied flatly before walking out of the room. A smile forced its way out of my scowl and I let loose a tiny bit of quiet laughter, smiling like an idiot.

"Onee-chan, huh?"

"Higurashi!"

"Yes?"

"Would you _please_ shut up?"

To be Continued...


	14. Chapter 14

Good Times

Chapter 14

firefox369

----Kagome----

I picked at the bento that Ryoma had given me, realising that I really wasn't very hungry at all. Squealing suddenly filled my ears and I rolled my eyes in disgust before standing up and plopping my bento in front of one of my classmates.

"Here, you can have it" I mumbled in distaste before walking out of the classroom and down the hallway, away from all of the screams and screeches. One of the seniors must have decided to visit. We were never allowed to visit their classrooms, but because Syusuke was my roommate I was an exception and was allowed to enter the senior hallway whenever I pleased.

I glanced out the window and saw that it was starting to get dark from the clouds' blocking the sun, then at my classroom before shaking my head. I had promised to always visit them when school was over, and that I would never skip class in order to pay my respects. The graveyard would have to wait for now.

"Kagome" Syusuke stated from behind me and I slowly turned around to face him.

"Hai?" I asked kindly as he stepped closer. I instictively took a step back. "You escaped from my classmates, I see."

"No, Eiji came to help out."

"You forced him to help out" I corrected flatly and he laughed.

"If you prefer to put it that way, then yes."

"What did you do, black mail him?"

"Not exactly."

"Onii-chan."

"Hai?"

"Why are you here?" I demanded and he just smiled in response, deciding not to say anything to show me what he was thinking. "Onii-chan..."

"Your birthday."

"What about it?"

"Sango told me." A sigh escaped my lips and I crossed my arms, placing all my weight on one leg and cocking my head to the side.

"There's no need to worry about me" I finally mumbled and his smile broadened.

"Iie, it's not that. I just thought that I might be able to go along with you and say hello to my 'father'" he replied innocently.

"Father" I repeated and he nodded.

"Since Kagome is my sister, Kagome's father is my father, ne? I also wish to see onii-chan."

"I don't really care if you come along or not" I replied after much hesitation, "but please don't do anything too stupid, I enjoy my privacy when I'm there."

"I'll make sure not to act like an idiot."

"Now that your problem is solved, go to class" I commanded, seeing my own classmates staring at me with a slightly cold look in their eyes. I was glad that I told them what my relationship with Fuji was before they decided to kill me, they knew that I thought of him as a brother and that was all (Thank god). If they thought that I was something more than who knows what would happen to me. Now, though, I was starting to have doubts about our whole brother-sister relationship and, although the thought kind of scared me, I found myself admiring Syusuke a huge amount more than I had thought I ever would.

---Later that day---

I waited for him in the dorm room, knowing that he would eventually show up there if he wanted to find me, and he did a few minutes later. He changed out of his uniform (I had changed out of it earlier) and we walked out of the dorms and towards the nearest subway station. It would take us about half an hour to an hour to get to the place we wanted to that way, and it was cheaper than taxi. We paid for our tickets and got on the subway. I found an empty spot and sat down as Fuji stood, staring out the window with a blank expression on his face. After about ten minutes of silence between the two of us he finally opened his mouth to speak, but no words got out before the subway suddenly jerked to a stop with a loud screech and he went crashing on to the floor from the sudden loss of momentum.

"Onii-chan!" I gasped, racing over to him, and he slowly sat up with a tiny smile on his face. "Daijobu?"

"I'm alright" he mumbled, the lights beginning to flicker for a few moments before turning off completely. The intercom turned on and the conductor's voice filled our ears, informing us of what the problem was.

"_We're terribly sorry for the abrupt halt, but we're currently working on fixing the problem so if you would please stay calm, we should be moving again within the next few minutes. Thank you._" Click.

No light shined into the cars, for we were in the middle of a pitch black tunnel, and the subway's lights weren't working either. I felt my grip on Syusuke tighten and he shifted before gently taking my hand in his.

"Scared?" he mused and I glared for a few seconds before realizing that he couldn't see me.

"I hate the dark" I mumbled softly and there was a crash of thunder. I screamed and tackled him in fright, the sudden loud noise surprising the hell out of me.

"Do you still want to pay your respects to them?" he questioned.

"Hai."

"But your hanging on to me like a leech."

"Shut up."

"No."

"Just a little bit longer..." I sighed and he leaned back on his arms as he also sighed.

"Okay" he mumbled and I felt his fingers slowly threading through my hair, "just a little longer."

"Onii-chan" I murmured after a long silence and he shifted into a more comfortable position.

"Hn?"

"Arigato..." He sat up straight again and I felt his hand sliding across my face and landing on my cheek, his thumb brushed against my lips. "What are you doing, Syusuke-kun?"

I got no reply.

"Onii-chan?"

"Is that how you really think of me? As your onii-chan?"

I didn't answer, knowing exactly where this conversation was going. I felt a slight pressure on my lips and I tensed, confused. Was it his thumb again? No, I could feel it against my cheek, so that would mean that he was kissing me again, right? My body reacted before I had a chance to think over my actions and I leaned in to it.

The moment ended and I snapped back to my senses when the lights turned back on, shoving myself away from him and landing on my butt a few feet away. My cheeks began to flame a little and I looked away, standing up and making my way back to my seat. Syusuke once again stood beside me as the subway started and he touched his lips with his fingers, head cocked slightly to the side and deep in thought. My gaze returned to outside the window as the glowing lights flashed by.

"Syusuke" I finally whispered and he turned his head to look at me, finally out of the trance-like state that he had been in.

"Yes?"

I hesitantly reached around my neck and grabbed the chain holding the shikon, pausing before taking it off so it was in the plain sight of everyone and anyone. There weren't anymore demons in this world anymore, I knew that was certain, but I still worried about what would happen if I went through with what I was thinking. Syusuke watched as I picked up the shikon and held it between my thumb and pointer finger, a nostalgic, but pained look on my face.

"Here" I stated, holding it up to him.

"What?"

I took his hand and gently placed the necklace in his palm before closing his fingers around it.

"Keep it."

"But-"

"Keep it. Protect it with your life, but don't wish on it until you know what you want for sure. The shikon only grants one wish before disappearing."

"How am I supposed to believe that it'll make my wish come true?" he inquired and I lowered my eyes before releasing light laughter.

"You'll know. Trust me on this, it will make any of your wishes come true, but after your wish then it will either disappear forever or it will become useless in your hands. One of the two."

"How do I know which one it'll be?"

"Depends on your wish. A selfless wish will make it disappear, while a selfish one will make it dormant until a new guardian comes. Take it, Syusuke. You'll need it soon."

"What do you mean?" he asked worriedly, "You're not that far, are you?"

"No, but a few months can fly by very quickly."

"Why can't I wish on it now, then?"

"What would the doctors think at my next check-up? They'll think I'm some natural phenomenon and will want to do research on me."

"No they won't."

"It's a possibility."

"But they won't."

"I don't want to take the chance, so please Syusuke, just take it."

"...hai."

There was a beep and the doors opened. We both got off of the subway and I slowly made my was up the stairs, having doubts about visiting their grave at this current point in time. Maybe I should've just waited a few more hours before visiting them? If I did, would this feeling still have existed? I could feel Syusuke's presence behind me, the jewel's power radiating off of him, and I stopped to stare at the steps leading up to the graveyard, a shiver making it's way down my spine as thunder echoed across the sky and the first drops of rain fell. Taking another deep breath, I walked up the stairs and slowly made my way to the graves I wanted to visit to see a sillhouette. A strangely feminine one. After I saw her there, I froze and stepped back but it was already too late. She had seen me.

"Kagome" she hissed and I flinched at the sound of her voice, my body moving of it's own accord and stepping backwards again.

"Kagome?" Fuji asked. His words never reached my ears because the next thing I knew, I was on the ground, a stinging pain in my cheek.

"It's all your fault!!" she shrieked and stepped towards me again. Fuji decided to interfere and he appeared in front of me, holding her back and trying to reason with her. Her shouting and screaming filled my ears and I covered them, shaking my head with tears dripping off my face and splattering against the grass around me. This wasn't happening, none of the things coming out of her mouth were true. I wouldn't believe it... I couldn't...

There was another crash of thunder and I was faintly aware of my mother being taken away by the gravekeepers that had decided to help out and try to calm her down. Something brushed against my cheek and I shied away only to see Syusuke's smiling face, his arms stretched out wide. I sniffed, a tear rolling down my face as I tackled him in a hug, the rain pouring down on us and drenching our clothing so it stuck to our bodies. He welcomed me into his arms and held me tightly, saying nothing to soothe me. He knew that nothing needed to be said between the two of us and that him being there was enough to calm me down. He shifted and I felt him gently place his lips on the injured cheek. I let him, too empty to care. I clung to him, trembling and unsure of everything in my life.

"Kagome?" he finally called softly, breaking the silence between us.

"Yes...?"

He hesitated before saying "I love you."

"I love you too, onii-chan..."

"No, not like that" he stated, holding me out at arms length and I lowered my head so that my bangs covered my eyes. Why was he saying this? I didn't want to love. I wasn't ready... not after Inuyasha... "I really love you..."

Not after everyone I ever loved died.

"Kagome?" he inquired, "say something..."

I shakily got to my feet and he also stood. He grabbed my arm and yanked me back when I tried to leave but I slapped his hand away and ran off, not wanting to think about it right now. Yes, I did have feelings for him that were much more than the imaginary 'brother-sister' relationship we were supposed to have, but love? To actually say that I loved someone after what had happened to me? No. I couldn't, or rather, wouldn't.

I was scared.

Terrified.

I swear kami-sama had used me as a stress-reliever.

No footsteps were heard behind me and I knew that Syusuke wasn't chasing after me quite yet. Pain suddenly ripped through my entire body and I leaned against the wall of a nearby building. There was an alley nearby and I stumbled into it before coughing and dropping to my knees. My throat, my lungs, they hurt. The pain was excruciating and I felt my head beginning to spin. I released a heart-wrenching sob, cursing Inuyasha to earth and back to hell where he belonged. The distant sound of frantic calls down the street were heard and I glared at the pavement before collapsing onto my side, vision fading. I was faintly aware of someone lifting me up.

"I'm sorry!" Syusuke panted, "I'm sorry, okay? I won't talk about it again... I swear that I'll never bring it up again so please don't run away like this..."

I coughed more and he held me tighter for a few moments, debating what to do before standing up and carrying me out of the alley and towards the nearest hospital, apologizing the entire time, voice bathed in pain and guilt.

To Be Continued...


	15. Chapter 15

Good Times

Chapter 15

firefox369

----Normal----

They had received a phone call from him. He was at the hospital with Kagome. What had happened? Had he done something to make her run away again? Everyone close to her knew that she couldn't take much more of that sort of treatment. Her time was slowly dwindling away from her, and the number of breaths she was allowed to take before leaving was decreasing every single moment, every hour, minute, hell, every second. Her heart was weakening, the disease spreading faster than they had thought it ever would. It was rampaging, and out of control. Even the best doctors could only stand by and watch it slowly take away her life. She was too far gone.

They burst into the hospital, soaked with rain and sweat, breathing harsh as their eyes searched wildly for the distressed teen that called for them. Kagome needed help. _Fuji Syusuke_ needed help. They saw him sitting by the window, eyes glazed over and blank as he stared out the window and at the dark, stormy sky outside. Yuuta, Sango and Yumiko hurriedly ran towards him, leaving Ryoma and Eiji by the door, confused and wanting answers. They had, after all, been dragged here against their will.

"What happened?" Sango demanded, shaking Fuji's shoulders and he slowly turned to face her, eyes shutting and that soft smile hiding the emotions he didn't want to show. But the smile wasn't as carefree and nonchalant as it should have been. No one failed to notice.

"She ran" was all he said and Sango's face lost its anger, pity filling in her eyes as everything clicked into place.

The black haired, green-eyed doctor came out of the hallway that the nurses had taken her into and began to talk to Sango, telling her that it was safe for them to enter. Sango was the first to chase after the doctor, Yuuta and Yumiko following close behind. Syusuke merely stood, head lowered, before raising it a millimeter an hour to stare blankly at Eiji.

"...what happened?" Eiji asked.

"She's sick, did you know that?" Syusuke asked, plastering that fake smile on his face again.

"Onee-chan is sick...?" Ryoma repeated, unsure, and Syusuke glanced at him.

"Hai... with cancer."

"...Cancer..." Eiji whispered as he shook his head, not wanting to let it sink in.

"Heart Cancer... it's spreading to her lungs. No... It already has spread to her lungs... She won't last until February... running hurts her. Her body can't handle the strain for more than a few moments..."

"Does her mother know?" Eiji inquired and Syusuke shook his head.

"Iie."

"Why don't you tell her?"

"She won't care; her mother is stuck in the past and refuses to move on." With that, Fuji turned around and made his way over to Kagome's hospital room with Ryoma and Eiji following behind him at a distance.

"How do you feel?" Yumiko's kind voice gently soothed as Syusuke stepped into the room.

"I'm fine, onee-chan, don't worry" Kagome laughed. She noticed the others by the door and her smile widened. "Onii-chan!!" she exclaimed, holding her arms out. Syusuke walked over to her and gave her the hug she wanted. After he pulled away, he smiled at her and sat on the bed beside her.

"Forget everything I said earlier, okay?" he suggested, "I was just joking, I didn't mean to pull such a cruel joke... not after..."

"Iie, onii-chan, I'm fine!" she laughed again and Sango tapped his shoulder. He turned to look at her and she motioned for him to follow her out into the hall. He obeyed and she shut the door softly behind them.

"You lied" Sango stated sternly as she turned to face him. "You lied to her to make her happy."

"She's been through enough, Sango, don't you think?" Syusuke calmly replied, eyes snapping open. Frustration flared inside of them, burning as if daring Sango to question him further. Sango smirked.

"Doesn't it hurt, Syusuke?" she teased.

"I have no clue what you're talking about."

"Your feelings weren't reciprocated, were they Syusuke-_kun­_. She rejected you when you told her, and that's why she ran. That's why you were staring so brokenly out the window earlier."

"She's not the only woman in the world. Another will come along" he reasoned, more for his own comfort than for Sango's.

"But in your eyes, all you see is Kagome. That's why you can't look at any female in the eyes. The black hair, the skin, everything you see reminds you of her."

"Shut up..."

"I don't think I will. Just admit it, will you? You sooooo love her."

"Shut up!"

"You know you do..."

"SHUT UP!!!! I love her, alright?! I hate myself for it because I know it'll never happen. Just... shut up..." he stated, the shout gradually turning into a pained whimper. Sango's cruel smirk disappeared and she reached up to ruffle his hair.

"Doesn't it feel better just to get the pain over with right now...?" she whispered sadly as his inner turmoil showed in his eyes, breaking him apart. "It's easier to move on this way..." Sango walked back into the room while Syusuke dropped to his knees, head lowered. The door opened moments later and he looked up to see Yumiko.

"Sango told me what happened. Are you alright?"

Syusuke hesitated before shaking his head, shoulders slumping and head dropping. Yumiko sadly cocked her head to the side and knelt in front of him, pulling him in a hug and comforting him. Syusuke didn't want his sister where she was now, though.

He wanted Kagome there, a healthy Kagome that didn't have to go to monthly check-ups.

The doctor appeared a while later and Yumiko let go, getting up with Syusuke. They entered the room, all watching the doctor intently as they awaited the news. The doctor took a deep breath, creating unwanted apprehension in the room. Why would he just spill it already? Was Kagome okay? How much time did she have left?

"The last collapse didn't affect her condition in any way" the doctor finally stated and the stiff air in the room immediately vanished as held breaths were released, relief washing over their tense muscles. "But-"

But? There was a but? They were supposed to tell the good news after the bad, weren't they? Wasn't that what most people chose to do? Most wanted to know the good news after the bad news, not before!"

"-the cancer is still spreading faster and faster. At this point we still don't know if the cancer will slow or when she'll..." the doctor trailed off, the last words already known to the rest of the people in the room. The silence in the room was deafening, the air once again stayed still as the information sank in. Sango was the first to react, taking a deep, shaky breath. Yuuta glanced at Kagome to see her staring at her hands as they rested in her lap, bangs covering her eyes.

"Kagome...?" Yuuta asked and she raised her head, a huge smile on her face.

"At least I'm still alive, ne?" she comforted before looking at the doctor. "I'm guessing I'll be staying here, right?" The doctor nodded in response and she sighed. "Great..."

The door slammed shut as Sango burst out the door and threw it closed behind her. Kagome watched, eyes glazing over and smile fading away.

"Someone call Miroku" Kagome murmured before writing down a number on a slip of paper with a pen. Both of which were supplied by the doctor. Ryoma took it and walked away, his impassive face not displaying the worry washing around inside of him.

"Visiting hours are about over" the doctor commented, glancing at his watch. "I'm sorry, but you'll have to end this visit soon and leave." After great hesitation, the people said their goodbyes and left the room, leaving only Kagome and the Doctor inside of its white walls. A lone tear dripped down the side of Kagome's face a split second before the door gently clicked shut behind Eiji.

"Do you think they'll be fine when I'm finally gone?" Kagome asked and the man nodded. "Thank you for lying for me..."

"They'll find out eventually" he murmured softly, gently taking her hand in his and staring at it sadly. "But why Fuji, too?"

"I don't know..." she whispered and he sighed before slowly pulling her into a hug."But, thank you Akaya onii-chan..." she murmured into his chest, liquid soaking the white cloth.

"Shhh... anything for my favorite cousin..." he replied.

---Meanwhile---

Just as Fuji was about to walk out of the hospital, he ran into someone and fell over. Looking up, he noticed the familiar black hair and green eyes that belonged to the one and only-

"Come here to get your leg checked?" he sneered, "hope I didn't injure you too badly..."

"Kirihara..." Eiji scowled, face scrunching up in distaste. "What are you doing here?"

"My brother works here, thank you very much" he growled. A light bulb went off in Fuji's head as he stood up. Green eyes. Black hair. Hospital. Doctor. Kagome.

"Kagome..." he whispered, preparing to turn around but a hand grabbed his shoulder before he ran off.

"What did you just say...?" Kirihara asked, almost in a whisper. He was confused. "How do you know she's here...?"

"I brought her here, how do _you _know her?" Syusuke asked.

"I don't have time to answer your questions, I've got to go" he grumbled before letting go of Fuji and running towards the information desk.

"Kirihara-kun!" the lady chirped, "Higurashi-chan's just down the hall. Akaya-sama should be there, too."

"Kay, thanks."

"Try not to bother him too much, you know how bad he can get when irritated. Higurashi-chan doesn't need an annoyed doctor right now."

"'Kay" he replied, running a few steps before the lady called after him again.

"Tell me how she's doing when you leave!"

"I will!" he hollered back at her. The Seigaku people just stood there and watched as he left, even more confused. Fuji, however, began to worry. Was Kirihara why Kagome couldn't be with him? Was he what kept her from answering him? Wanting his questions answered, Syusuke made his way to the desk. The lady laughed when he asked.

"Them?" she giggled, holding her stomach. "Oh, no, you must be mistaken! They would _never_..." she trailed off to calm down her laughter. "Iie, iie. You see, their cousins, sir" she explained, "Higurashi has been coming to this hospital for who knows how long, even before I was hired. Akaya-sama, her doctor, is Kirihara's brother. If you're worried about them trying to take her away and never return, you're so very wrong!"

Satisfied with this information, even if thoroughly embarrassed, he returned to the waiting group and they slowly made their way home.

"Guess that's where Kagome's lethal mood-swings come from..." he unconsciously muttered under his breath.

---Kagome---

The door creaked open and I saw Kirihara come in. I smiled when I saw him and he walked to his brother, Yoshiro, and glanced at the clipboard in his hands. His face fell before looking at me. Yes, the news was depressing, but it was the truth. The truth that I needed to know.

"Too soon..." he whispered and I smiled comfortingly.

"You think too pessimistically, Kirihara-kun" I stated nonchalantly and he glared, running up to me and grabbing my shoulders.

"Don't act so happy about it!" he shouted. I was bringing out the demonic side of him, but I only stated the facts, didn't I? I gently reached up and touched one of his hands with my own. He tensed before quickly letting go and stepping away. "I... I just..."

"Don't want me to leave?" I finished and he nodded.

"Do you know Ryoma?" I questioned and he nodded again. "On his last high school match, go to it. That's all I ask of you, you'll learn something about your life that you never knew before if you watch."

"I still don't want you to go, though!" he whined childishly. So unlike him... "Not on-"

"Forget about it, and everything will be alright" I interrupted. "Forget I ever existed."

"...I don't want to, though, I can't."

"You've never tried." He gritted his teeth and slowly walked out the door. I laughed when he did so, ecstatic.

"What're you smiling about?" Yoshiro asked and I released a giggle, clapping my hands together.

"That was the longest time he's ever visited me in a hospital" I laughed and Yoshiro sighed, rubbing the back of his head.

"Yes, I guess it is..."

My laughter died down and I lowered my hands. "Maybe because he knows there'll be probably only be one more after today, and then the funeral, but the funeral doesn't count." I blanched. "_I_ won't be able to see _him_"

Yoshiro sighed again and ruffled my hair. "Get some sleep..." he grumbled teasingly, "annoying little girl..."

I pouted as I looked up at him, but obeyed and lied down in the bed and shut my eyes. He stayed by my side until I was already deep in to the dream, knowing about my nightmares.

"Only a few more, Kami-sama..." he whispered mournfully, "just give her a few more..."

Of course, I wasn't awake to hear it.

To Be Continued...


	16. Chapter 16

Disclaimer: I own nothing except the plot and possibly yoshiro. (Does Kirihara even have an older brother?)

Good Times

Chapter 16

firefox369

---Normal (A few days later)---

Yoshiro walked into Kagome's room to see her staring blankly out the window. He cleared his throat and she turned to face him, that hollow look once again in her eyes. She blinked a few times and she smiled, faking happiness for what seemed like the fiftieth time in the last ten minutes. Every time Doctor Yoshiro left the room, she would be smiling happily after him, but every time he returned, she stared blankly out the window, pain reflecting in her pale complexion.

"The information came in" he stated and this time, she didn't hesitate to show the anxiety on her face. She looked so stressed, so much older than she really was. Unreal wisdom shined in her eyes.

"And...?" she inquired, leaning forward a bit.

"You're free to go for a few days." She laughed and clapped her hands in excitement, hopping out of bed and tackling her cousin in a hug. "Yeah, you better be happy" he grunted, "it took me forever to convince the others to let you leave."

"Ohh, thank you sooo much!!! I'll make sure to go to sleep early, I'll try not to stress my body too much, I'll-"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" he laughed, placing his pointer finger to her lips. "Just have some fun, okay? That's all I want from you."

"Okay" she giggled and he held up a bag of containing clothing as she let go of him. She took it from him and he left the room, allowing her to change. When Kagome had finished, she walked out and once again tackled her cousin a hug, placing a kiss on his cheek. "I promise not to let you down."

"I know you won't, now go and wreak some havoc on the outside world for me, would you?"

"I'll make sure to!"

"But don't run when you're trying to escape, okay?"

"I'll remember that" she laughed and waved before walking down the hall and turning the corner. Kirihara walked around the same corner a few moments later, but in the opposite direction. He noticed his brother's gaze and walked up to him.

"I saw Kagome" Kirihara stated and Yoshiro smiled sadly. "You let her go."

"She'll live her last moments with her friends, happy and satisfied" Yoshiro replied.

"What're you-"

"The next collapse will be her last" Yoshiro interrupted, wanting to end the conversation quickly. He took a deep breath and slowly let it out, flipping the pages of his clipboard. "And if she doesn't collapse, she'll be too weak to do anything in approximately four days. Her physical health is already vanishing."

"You're wrong, she can't just be-"

"I'm sorry, I'm just as upset as you are, but we both know that we can't do anything else for her but to let her live her last moments the way she wants to. If you're depressed because you think you didn't spend enough time with her, then too bad. What's done is done. If you want, you can go sight-seeing or something with her, but get over it."

"...fine..."

---Kagome---

I smiled happily as I walked out of the hospital, deciding to visit the local ice cream stand. I hadn't had the flavored snow in so long, and I missed it. I missed chocolate even more. They wouldn't give me any at the hospital for some dumb reasons. After checking my pockets for stray change and finding a sufficient amount for ice cream, my smile widened and I walked briskly to the stand.

"What can I get for you?" the lady asked kindly.

"Chocolate, please!" I chirped and she picked up a cone, placing the ice cream inside, and was about to give it to me when another hand reached out and took it from me.

"You know ice cream only makes coughing worse, right?" Kirihara asked and I scowled, placing my hands on my hips and pouting.

"Just give it to me, I haven't had it in way too long!" I whined and he smirked, licking it once before waving it in front of my face.

"Mmmm, chocolate" he teased and I cried out in frustration.

"Akaya Kirihara!!!" I shouted and he sighed, taking my wrist and pulling me out of the line so the other people could get their ice cream. We were blocking the way... "Give it back!" I commanded, reaching for it, but he kept it just barely out of my grasp, enjoying watching me squirm. "Ice cream!" I whimpered, hopping for it "Ehh!!! Eh!"

Kirihara's laughter made me stop and I looked at him, eyes softening as I enjoyed the smile on his face. Why wouldn't I? Who knew if I would ever see it again...

"Here, you've suffered enough" he stated, setting the cone in my hands and I yipped once with glee before lapping up the heavenly ice, pure bliss on my face. "But if you cough, I'm taking it away."

I scowled, but nodded. His intentions were good. Somewhat. I knew that he just wanted the ice cream for himself, greedy little-

"Kagome...?"

I spun around and my face lit up with joy. "ONII-CHAAAAN!!!!" I exclaimed, about to run over, but Kirihara grabbed my shoulder and I sighed in defeat when he gave me a stern look that clearly said "what do you think you're doing?" After having a glaring contest with him for a few moments, I 'hmph'd once and scowled before continuing to lick the ice cream in my hand. "Baaakaaa" I whispered, glancing at him occasoinally as he followed me like a lost puppy, which he is anything _but_, towards Syusuke. They glared at eachother coldly, obviously not liking the other's company. I stood in between the two, confused and watching as they looked at eachother in a heated staring contest.

"Hello Kirihara-san" Syusuke stated frigidly, flashing a gentle smile that didn't reach his open eyes.

"Hello Fuji."

"I think I'll just... go over... there..." I muttered, wanting to leave. They were so in to their game that they didn't notice as I left, finishing off the cone and sitting on a bench under a tree with a sigh. "Boys... I'll never understand them" I murmured to no one in particular, "and they say _women_ are an enigma..."

"They are, though, aren't they?"

"Syusuke onii-chan, where did Kirihara go?" I questioned.

"Left."

I sweat-dropped, not sure if Fuji making Kirihara leave was a good thing or a bad thing.

"How?" I asked timidly, not sure if I wanted to know.

"Friendly negotiations." My expression made him frown. "No physical damage was dealt, Kagome" he added, almost as an afterthought. I relaxed a little, but I didn't quite believe him. "But there was a large amount of shouting when the ice cream vendor wanted the money for the cone." Syusuke had never really looked at anyone like that while I was around before, so I was hesitant to nod and say 'okay'.

"Where do you want to go?" he inquired and I cocked my head to the side, confused.

"Huh?"

"Never mind, follow me" he sighed, turning around and walking away. I got up and ran a few steps before remembering what Yoshiro stated and slowed down to a comfortable walk a few feet behind Syusuke. He eventually stopped after a few moments and looked at me, waiting for me to catch up. I did and he smiled at me. I felt his hand timidly taking mine and I looked down at it sadly before intertwining our fingers. He blinked, surprised, and looked at me with confused eyes. I returned the look with a smile, I would let him have his way for now.

He walked to a large building and I looked up at it. What were we doing at a supermarket?

He gently tugged me inside and got in an elevator, pressing the button for the top floor. When we reached it, Syusuke led me out of the elevator and we turned to the right and up a flight of stairs. The stairs led to a door and he opened it for me,, letting me walk out to see a rooftop market. The wind blew by and I couldn't help but cling to Syusuke as he all but _dragged_ me to the railing.

"Open your eyes, Kagome" he laughed and I shook my head.

"No!!" I cried, terrified. I never was fond of being on the roof of an eighteen story building. He laughed and pulled me into his arms.

"Open your eyes Kagome, you'll miss it if you don't" he whispered and I whimpered before obeying. I squinted as I looked at the horizon, the setting sun shining it's last rays on the outskirts of the city, next to the mountain that Fuji had said he climbed with the tennis team. I forgot about him holding me as I unconsciously leaned into him. It felt so right...

But my stomach had to ruin it for me as it growled. We both looked down at it and Syusuke sighed, releasing me and digging in his pocket for his wallet.

"I'll get you something, what do you want?" he questioned.

"ODEN!" I replied quickly and he laughed.

"Okay, Come on, let's go."

I followed him off the room and out of the building, then towards the local soba shop. Halfway there, though, some people stepped out of an alley and watched as we walked past. I froze, fear filling my eyes as I saw who one of the people were.

"This the guy?" a man, most likely the leader, asked.

"Yeah, he's the one Naraku."

A reincarnation, that was for sure, but just the way he talked, his voice, his face, they all looked exactly the same and I found myself trembling. One of the people grabbed my wrist and I screamed in surprise, being forced out of my thoughts, and Syusuke roughly pulled me back into his arms, comforting me.

"You picked the wrong gang to mess with, kid" Naraku chuckled and I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to calm myself down. I had to make sure that Syusuke wouldn't be severely injured. I knew I was going to die soon anyways, so it wouldn't matter if I got too injured, but Syusuke had the tennis tournament coming up soon. I gently stepped out of his embrace and he watched as I walked towards Naraku, the fear in my eyes changed to determination.

"Naraku..." I growled in distaste.

"Heard of me?" he mused and I did something that I had wanted to do for a really long time. I clenched my hand into a fist and punched him as hard as I could, smirking when a satisfying crack informed me that I had broken his nose. I shook my hand out.

"That felt kind of good" I breathed, loosening my shoulders in order to prepare for the oncoming street brawl.

---Syusuke---

I couldn't believe it. She just _punched_ the guy! _Kagome_, of all people! Suddenly remembering her past, my surprise began to fade away and a smile formed on my face. The little butt... When the people lunged, I decided to join the fray. I couldn't let her beat up all of the bad guys, that was _my_ job, but I had no doubt that she could if she really wanted to.

Kagome suddenly began to cough and I turned to look at her. Big mistake. One of the gang members had a dagger and he slashed me with it. I recieved a large gash on my arm as a reminder to keep my mind on the fight in order to survive, then another on my cheek to help me do just that. I kicked the knife out of the man's hand, panicking when Kagome's coughing grew worse. I quickly disposed of a few more before Kagome cried out and the gang began to move back into the safety of the shadows, laughing and sneering.

"Kagome!" I gasped, racing to her side, checking her over as she rolled to her side, her hands fisted between her throat and heart as her cough came in irregular intervals. "Oh, Kami-sama, Kagome... hold on" I whispered, attempting to pick her up but a searing pain in my arm made me yelp and I almost dropped her. Biting back the pain I walked to the nearest hospital, which just so happened to be the one Kagome had just been released from, and stumbled to the front desk.

"...Kirihara..." I panted as the doctor stepped out of the hallway to call for another patient. He noticed me and hurriedly ran over.

"What happened?" he demanded, anger building up, obviously aimed towards me.

"Gang... Kagome.. coughing... I couldn't..." I mumbled weakly, swaying from blood loss. the doctor took Kagome from me and I leaned against the desk, trying to stay on my feet, but all the colors changed to the opposite of what they should have been and I dropped to my knees, unable to comprehend what was going on anymore. "...save... I never should have..."

I then fainted. I never should have taken Kagome from Kirihara. She was going to die because of a series of stupid mistakes that I had made.

To Be Continued...


	17. Final Chapter

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters in the story, except for maybe Yoshiro because I don't know if he exists... I'm not that far in the anime, or manga.

Good Times

Last Chapter

firefox369

-Syusuke-

I sighed after stepping out of the bathroom and into the dark dorm room connected to it. The one that I _used_ to share with Kagome. My wet hair clung to my face and I placed the towel on my head, beginning to rub my hair dry. The flashing of a light on the answering machine made me give a small frown as I noticed it, slowly stopping my vigorous action. When would they understand that I didn't want to visit Kagome yet? I wasn't ready to, not after what had happened...

When I woke up in the hospital after taking Kagome there and fainting, I was drowned in guilt for failing to protect her. The bandage wrap tied around my left arm and the long, thin scab on my cheek were painful and never stopped reminding me of my failure. Although I was better now, I wasn't better by much and the thought of showing myself to Kagome made me cower in fear and discomfort. How would she react to me if she saw me? Would she hate me? Would she blame me for my weakness? Would she ignore me? or maybe she would run away? But there was also the thought that she might, just might, forgive me. Whatever the reaction may be, however, I didn't want to think about it.

Climbing onto the bottom bunk, I found myself missing holding Kagome in my arms, burying my face in her hair and breathing in her relaxing scent as I drifted off to sleep, relishing in her warmth. I should have been used to being without her now, but why wasn't I? My arms felt so empty with her gone. Her presence soothed me, and that was something that I just realized. A little late now, though, ne?

I took the blanket from the top bunk and rolled it up before climbing back onto the bottom bunk, the curled up blanket in my arms. It wasn't the same, and was a poor substitute for the real thing. There was a pain in my chest that I was starting to become accustmed to and I fell into a restless slumber. I dreamt of how Kagome would act when I finally decided to visit her, and woke with damp streaks from my eyes and a wet "Kagome Substitute". I knew that I had once again cried unknowingly in my sleep. They weren't tears of excitement or joy. I was haunted by these dreams ever since I left the hospital...

...three weeks ago.

I forced myself out of bed and began my new, lonely, daily routine. Get up, get dressed, go to practice, eat breakfast, go to school, go back to practice, eat dinner, go back to practice again, and then, finally, return to the dorms at 9:30 to do homework and sleep. Everyday was the same, never changing from their course, like a line in a circle repeating itself over and over again without getting anywhere new. Like a neverending cycle.

I was now sitting in my dorms, desperately trying to get some homework done during my dinner time but failing miserably. Kagome was on my mind and I couldn't concentrate. A knock on the door made me sigh with relief for the quick reprieve and I set my pencil down before standing up and going to answer the door. Ryoma stood in front of me, Momo beside him.

"Hello" I said, smiling slightly.

"We were wondering if you wanted to go get some food with us" Momo explained and I instinctively turned around to get Kagome's opinion on the subject.

"What do you think, Kago...me..." I trailed off, realizing she wasn't there and might never be there again. My happy facade faded for a second, displaying my emotional distress for the entire world to see. That second was more than enough time for the two regulars to see. I took a deep breath and faced the two, knowing it was useless to hide it now. "...Iie..." I whispered softly and Ryoma nodded in understanding before walking away. Momo stayed where he was for a while longer, obviously worried, but hurried after the freshman moments later, forcing himself to relax and ignore what he just saw. I gently shut the door as he turned around and made sure to lock it with a soft 'click'.

I didn't need anyone to see me in this state... two people were enough. I didn't want to worry more, and if my door was unlocked then that would undoubtedly give others the chance to barge in on me right now. I didn't need that to happen.

Little did I know that I hadn't completely shut the door, and that a certain Kikumaru Eiji was peeking in with worry at my haggard state, Oishi spying along with him. Damn, even outside of the court they worked in pairs... then again, I was completely oblivious to the fact that they were there at that moment in time.

Another sigh escaped my lips as I slowly made my way over to the bottom bunk and plopped down onto it. I didn't notice the door was open because the light that would have flooded in did nothing in the already bright room that I was currently in. The pain in my heart grew unbearably strong and I gripped the clothing above my heart with a pained groan between my clenched teeth. I squeezed my eyes shut in agony, trying desperately to rid myself of the hurt. I ignored the burning in my arm that came from stretching the wound.

A hand unconciously rose to my forehead and I grabbed my bangs, gently yanking on them in hopes of moving the pain somehwere else. No such luck.

Who am I kidding? I'm not some superhero like batman, or superman... she wouldn't hate me just because I couldn't protect her from cancer, or the thugs that tried to... do whatever they were trying to do with us...

_If I didn't take her from Kirihara, then she would still be here... by my side... smiling, laughing, and poking fun._

She shouldn't have left the hospital.

_I couldn't blame her for wanting to see the outside world. I shouldn't have gone to visit her that day._

No, I had to stop thinking like that. Kagome wouldn't blame me for not being strong enough, not for what happened. I had tried so hard to keep her out of harm's way. The two scars that would form would always be proof of that whether we liked it or not. Despite my thoughts, however, a memory of the dream I had last night popped into my mind.

-_"It's all you fault, Syusuke!" Kagome screamed from her hospital bed. "If only you hadn't taken me from Kirihara, if only you hadn't brought me to that stupid building, I-"_

_"iie!" I pleaded as I reached out to touch her, "Kagome, listen, onegai!" There was a resounding slap as she smacked my hand away. I simply stared at her in shock, squinting my eyes in distress. Why wasn't she listening?_

_"DON'T TOUCH ME!"-_

The urge to whine entered my throat and my voice box obeyed. The pitiful sound escaped my lips in response to the turmoil in my mind. I shifted into the fetal position, sliding off the bed and curling myself into a ball. I rested my head on my knees, scared. I wanted a sign, _needed_ a sign to tell me what I was supposed to do. I was so confused, so lost...

"Kagome..." I whimpered, hating myself for how pathetic I sounded right now.

Thankfully, I wouldn't have to wait for the sign for very long.

-Meanwhile-

Uneven coughing met everyone's ears as they waited in the white, bland, hospital room, waiting for the doctor to show up and inform them of what was happening. The door finally opened as a thick, red liquid dripped out from the girl's mouth from the force of her coughing. It didn't take much brain power to identify the red substance as blood, and the occupants of the room grew more restless at this new occurence. The doctor cleared his throat to capture their attention and their heads all swung to face him at the same time, eyes wide with hope. His pale complexion told them all they needed to know and their faces drop, all hope from before sliding off of their faces. But still, there was that tiny bit that was saying that he was tricking them, and that everything would be alright. As if reading their mind, the doctor shook his head.

"She's not going to make it." It pained the doctor to say it, for he was related to the sick girl himself. Closer than some of them knew, and the information brought just as much horror to him as it did them. His cousin... his happy, hyper, baby cousin was dying right in front of his eyes...

One of the women collapsed, shaking her head. Her eyes were blank, dazed, and the signs of oncoming tears could be seen on her face. As if realizing where she was, she suddenly staggered to her feet and raced out of the room, shoving the doctor out of her way. And so, the woman known as Sango knew about Kagome's death and was preparing to fully take in the information. What the doctor had said only partially registered in her mind.

Another woman began to tremble as she leaned against the wall beside her. She took a cell phone from her purse and also made her way out the door. She was slower, and had more control over her actions than the other woman, but was fast in her escape nonetheless.

"I should tell Syusuke..." she murmured under her breath.

The last in the room, besides the doctor, simply stood there, watching the monitor that showed the girl's uneven heartbeats. He looked to his brother, the doctor, only to find the man gone. With the thought of not wanting to be in the same room as Fuji Syusuke, ther person known as Kirihara Akaya left, slowly slipping out of the room and out of the hospital.

-Syusuke-

The phone began to ring but I ignored it, too busy trying to think of what to do and wallowing in my self-pity to answer. The answering machine answered for me and turned on. My own, happy voice filled my ears and I scoffed. Was that really me? I could hardly recognize myself compared to the cheerful voice on the speaker.

_"Fuji Syusuke here. I'm not exactly _here_ here at the moment, though, so please leave a message after the beep and I'll get back to you as soon as I can!" _Beeep!

_"Fuji..." _I heard onee-chan whisper, _"you really need to come to the hospital." _The pain and tears she felt were evident in her voice and I looked up, sneering.

"Care to tell why?" I spat hatefully. As if hearing my question, she regained control of her voice and began to speak again.

_"Kagome's not going to last much longer..." _My eyes widened and I slowly uncurled myself, the sneer and hate being replaced with disbelief and shock. A soft murmur was heard behind her. She spoke again, voice more strained now. _"...the doctor says she's got an hour... at most..." _She choked out the last two words before she released a sob. I shot to my feet and hesitated before taking one step towards the door. I stopped and lowered my head, but one last glance at the bed was all I needed for me to get moving.

"Arrghhh... dammit!" I growled in annoyance before shoving my arms through the sleeves of a jacket and grabbing my wallet as I barrelled through the dorm room door to only to crash into Eiji. I ignored him and continued to sprint off school grounds, not knowing there was more to the message. Eiji and Oishi heard it for me.

_"I know you got our last messages, but just in case you didn't hear them and you're listening now... Kagome thinks you hate her, Syusuke. She doesn't blame you for what happened, and she wants to see you one last time... she knows that you're not a superhero... if only you could finally realize that, too..." _Click.

I was on my way, running to the subway station because I couldn't find any taxis for some strange reason. It was if Kami-sama were trying to _keep me away_ from Kagome...

"Hold on..." I pleaded in between my panting, "I'm coming Kagome..."

-Kagome-

I began to cry in distress. Where was he? I wanted to see him so badly... I felt Sango holding me and I sobbed into her shirt. Knowing the reason for my tears, she hugged me in reassurance.

"He'll come, I know he will" she whispered.

"Does he hate me?" I whimpered weakly, gasping for breath.

"Iie. I'm sure he doesn't hate you."

"Then why hasn't he -cough- come?"

"He's confused."

"I miss him..."

"He'll come, just hold on a little bit longer..."

My vision slowly darkened and a shiver ran down my spine... it was so cold... I was at my limit.

"He really... hates me, ne...?" I laughed softly before my brain seemed to become muddled and lost all train of thought. I was faintly aware of my body being passed onto someone else... a harder body, a more masculine one, and a deeper voice beginning to speak to me. I couldn't understand what the person was saying, but I felt myself smile in response. Lips on mine created slight pressure in a gentle kiss before a cheek softly rubbed against mine. And then, the darkness took over, pulling me into a blissful, eternity of sleep.

-Syusuke-

She was alive, I could hear her talking to Sango as I raced down the hospital corridor, dodging everyone and everything. The sound of her voice, even if weak, was music to my ears and encouraged me to run faster. I swerved into her room just in time to hear her say her last words.

"He really... hates me, ne...?"

"Kagome...?" I asked softly and Sango turned to look at me before motioning me over. I obeyed, and I was within her reach in a few steps.

"Here" she murmured, slowly handing Kagome over to me. I sat on the bed, back facing the door as I set her in my lap, hugging her close. She was so cold... she coughed a few times and blood dribbled out of her mouth. I wiped it away with my fingers, eyes squinting in sorrow as the thick, red, liquid smeared onto my hand.

"I don't hate you..." I whispered, but she didn't respond except for a small smile. I took her chin and lifted it, gently placing a kiss on her lips before resting her head on my right collarbone. I then wrapped my left arm around her waist and my right arm around her shoulder, leaning my cheek against hers. This position, I missed holding her like this... I missed holding her in my lap... in my arms' embrace... her breathing against my neck and-

The single, long note of the monitor woke me from my dream and I knew... she wasn't coming back, but I refused to believe. The pain was excruciating, so excruciating that I became numb. Why? Why was I like this? Why wasn't I crying? Why couldn't I _feel_ anything? I needed a way to release the hurt, but it was so painful that I was numb to everything around me except the girl in my arms, the _dead_ girl in my arms, who left a fading warmth as the heat left her body. I refused to say that, though. After all, I didn't want to accept the fact that she was dead. Knowing she was dead meant knowing that she wasn't coming back... and knowing that she wasn't coming back was what I didn't want to think about... what I didn't want to believe in.

Yes, Kagome wasn't dead, she was merely sleeping. Yeah, sleeping. The cold hospital was making it seem like she was cold, even though she was really warm. She would wake up at any moment now, smile one of her amazing smiles, laugh one of her beautiful laughs, and everything would be alright. The heart monitor was broken, a defect, it had to be. Someone like Kagome did not just suddenly drop dead from cancer, it wasn't how they worked. It was impossible. Yes, Kagome was _not_ dead, and in actuality was quite _alive_. The pitiful thing was...

I actually believed my excuses.

I actually believed that Kagome was alive.

"Fuji-senpai...?" Ryoma's voice asked after who knows how long. I didn't want to let Kagome go, and I knew that the hospital wouldn't be able to take her away from me right now. I was too stubborn. Ryoma's voice seemed distant, so far away from me, like it was being blocked by something, being muffled by something. My back was to him as I held his 'onee-chan'.

"Hai?" I replied, the monotonous tone of my voice made him hesitate so someone else spoke up for him. Before the next person spoke, though, I already knew that the entire Seigaku tennis team was there.

"Is Kagome-sama... dead...?" Eiji questioned, worried, and I slowly turned around to look at the team, Kagome still in my arms. Eiji hesitated before saying the last word, and I knew then that 'Kagome' and 'dead' didn't belong in the same sentence to him, too. The least I could do was look at him.

"Iie" I replied.

But they knew. They knew the moment that I turned around, that she was. My open eyes were hollow and dull, empty of all emotions and thoughts except for one thing.

Denial.

And hell, was I denying everything in my life right now.

The End


	18. Epilogue

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot, and maybe Yoshiro. I don't know if he exists or not, but if he does and is an actual character in the Prince of Tennis series, then he's not mine. If he doesn't, well, then he is, obviously... Oh, the song "My Immortal" from Evanescence isn't mine, either. It belongs to Evanescence. (Duh)

Good Times

Epilogue

firefox369

I looked at the gravestone in front of me, pain flashing across my face at the rememberance of the funeral that had ended such a long time ago. My first love, my only love... buried here for an eternity. Cherry blossoms slowly fell to the ground around me and I held back the urge to yell at kami-sama again... for taking her away from me.

_I'm so tired of being here_

I fingered the Shikon no Tama around my neck, dangling from the thin, but extremely strong metal chain that it hung off of. I wished she were back here with me, by my side right now, just so I wouldn't have to worry about waking up every morning to find myself alone in my dorm room anymore. Just so I wouldn't have to stare at the pathetic, cloth replacement for her that I unconciously cried on during my dreams every night. Just so I wouldn't have to wake up without her in my arms, knowing that she wouldn't be there ever again.

_Suppressed by all of my childish fears  
And if you have to leave  
I wish that you would just leave_

A voice, soft and femine, filled my ears as my wish was heard by the Shikon, the wish to bring Kagome back to me. The ghostly form of a woman met my gaze as she floated in the air in front of me and I smiled bitterly. I saw Kagome in her. The black hair, the blue eyes, that kind, knowing smile...

"Is that what you truly want?" she questioned comfortingly, somehow knowing what I was going through right now, and where I was, "you cannot change your wish after it has been made."

"Hai" I replied, surprised at how vulnerable I sounded right now.

"Then your wish shall be granted." With that, she slowly began to disappear, a bright light surrounding us both before slowly fading away to reveal nothing except for me, the grave, and the cherry blossoms still floating towards the ground in their gentle, dizzying, dance.

_Because your presence still lingers here  
And it won't leave me alone_

I glanced at her grave again before a hand rested on my shoulder and I spun around, the petals following my movement in a small blizzard as hope rose in my chest, only to drop again the moment I saw the person behind me.

"Yuuta" I greeted with a warm smile but he saw through my facade. Who wouldn't?

"Come on, aniki, we're going home" he said softly, in a tone that clearly stated that he was mourning for her loss, too. I knew the jewel was fake... I followed him and we climbed in to my onee-chan's car. She had been cryiing, too, if her tear-stained cheeks were any sign. It had been about three or four months since the funeral, but it hurt just as much as it did then, maybe a little less.

As she drove away, I watched as Kagome's gravestone slowly faded into the distance, and a lone tear slowly made a trail down my face. The first since her death. The numb feeling in my heart had finally disappeared, and I now felt the pain in full force. I couldn't stop the tears as they came, following eachother faster and faster as they splattered onto my clothing. I couldn't help but release a broken sob, leaning over my legs and hiding my face in my hands.

_These wounds won't seem to heal  
This pain is just too real  
There's just too much that time cannot erase._

Yuuta, who sat beside me, hesitated before slowly pulling me into a comforting embrace, like how I used to do to Kagome when she unkowingly cried in her sleep every night. This was the first time Yuuta had done something like this for me, and I could feel the pain slowly ebbing away as I forced myself to think of the happy action that was currenty occurring.

_When you cried I'd wipe away all of your tears  
When you'd scream I'd fight away all of your fears  
And I've held your hand through all of these years  
But you stil have all of me_

_---_five years later_---_

I smiled happily as I watched Kagome playing with Yuuta in front of me, her warm smile, that carefree face that she wore. She laughed when Yuuta splashed her with the hose and she ripped it from his grasp, soaking him with it as she ran after him. I laughed, too, content and happy. She suddenly looked at her watch and her face turned from one of joy to one of horror.

"Oh my god, Fuji, we're going to be late!" she cried, grabbing Yuuta and running off. I got up and chased after her but she kept getting farther and farther away. "Hurry up!" she called and reached for her.

"Matte!" Ka-" my eyes snapped open and I found myself reaching for the ceiling that held all the pictures that I had taken in the past few years with a camera that the entire tennis team had pitched in to give me. "-gome..."

_You used to captivate me  
By your resonating light  
But now I'm bound by the light you left behind  
Your face it haunts my once pleasant dreams  
Your voice it chased away all the sanity in me_

I sat up and found that once again, my tears had stained the pillow below me. Although it had lowered in frequency, whenever I dreamt of her, I woke up with a damp pllow and a depressed attitude.

_These wounds won't seem to heal  
This pain is just too real  
There's just too much that time cannot erase_

"Thanks Kagome" I whispered, realizing that I had slept through my alarm clock once again. I always did when I dreamt of her, and I always slept in on important days. Today was Ryoma's last high school match and, like Kagome had told me to do, I was going to go.

_When you cried I'd wipe away all of your tears  
When you'd scream I'd fight away all of your fears  
And I've held your hand through all of these years  
But you still have all of me_

I got off the bed and stretched, quickly finishing my toiletries and dressing before walking towards the door. I opened it and looked back to see the only picture I had of Kagome on my counter and I smiled sadly at it before shutting the door and making my way to the courts that Ryoma would be playing at.

_I've tried so hard to tell myself that you're gone  
And though your still with me  
I've been alone all along_

_When you cried I'd wipe away all of your tears  
When you'd scream I'd fight away all of your fears  
And I've held your hand through all of these years  
But you still have all of me_

I appeared before the rest of the team and they waved, motioning me over. I ran towards them and Eiji pulled me into a headlock, ruffling my hair. It had been too long since the last time I saw him, a year and a half, at least.

"How've you been, pup?" I scowled at the nickname he gave me. He claimed that I had been following Kagome's ghost like a love-sick puppy, which I had and still was, but I decided to let it slide for now.

"I've been better" I replied and he sighed.

"Another one of 'those'?" he breathed and I nodded as he let me go.

"Ryoma is going to get frustrated if we don't go to his match soon."

I looked up at the dark sky, a small frown on my face. "If it doesn't rain first" I replied and Eiji nodded. We walked off to the correct court and I saw Sango yelling at her brother from the stands. We realized why when we saw the score.

"HURRY UP AND BEAT THE CRAP OUT OF HIM, YOU MORON! YOU'RE AN ECHIZEN SO HURRY UP AND START ACTING LIKE IT, DAMNIT!" she screamed and I couldn't help but laugh at Ryoma's discomfort of being yelled at in the middle of a match.

"Onee-chan..." he whined softly when he missed another ball because of his lack of concentration. Then, it began to rain. It was only a drizzle at first but it slowly got harder and harder, and before the end of the last game, they were forced to stop. Thank kami-sama, for Ryoma was losing quite horribly. That's when Horio came pushing through and ran into the middle of the court as Echizen pulled out some money and began to walk away. That's when he noticed that his bags were missing.

"Ryoma!" Horio panted, "The person that took your bags... he's by the tree, but no one can get near him! He's got this black hair and-" a sudden wind blew by and blew off Ryoma's cap, taking it into the air and making it float far, far away. Ryoma scowled before chasing after it, completely ignoring the rest of Horio's speech. That cap was important!

The cap led him to the middle of a crowd and a slender, pale but healthy hand grasped it, placing it on the owner's head, efficiently covering the person's eyes. Long black hair reached her waist, and she was dressed in awfully familiar clothing. Male clothing at that. His bags were right next to her.

"My, you've lost your touch, mini-'Roh" she teased as she looked up at him and his eyes widened before an excited smile broke out on his face and he threw himself at the woman.

"Kagome!!!" he shouted, tackling her in a hug that threw her back into the tree behind her with a grunt, though she managed to stay on her feet somehow. She hugged him back with just as much enthusiasm when a flash of red caught her eyes.

"Oooh, when did you get a girlfriend, ochibi? I thought that you were with Sakuno." Kagome raised her head to glare at the acrobatics-player and he squeaked before cowering in fear. "YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BE DEAD!!!" he exclaimed, pointing at her, and her glare hardened.

"Give me a hundred fifty push-ups, you stupid chimp" she growled and Eiji shot into the push-up position, beginning to do them when Kagome left Ryoma's embrace and walked over to him, giggling.

"Just kidding, just kidding" she laughed, and he stopped before timidly looking up at her. Seeing no malice in her eyes, he pounced up and, like Ryoma, tackled her in a hug. The only difference was that she actually hit the ground.

"I missed you!!!!" he cried and Kagome sighed, returning his hug for a few moments before standing up. She took the cap off her head and placed it on Ryoma's, mirth in her eyes, before she turned around to see the other former regulars of the Seigaku tennis team before her.

"Kitty" she greeted as she nodded curtly and Kaidoh scowled, but couldn't for very long before a small grin formed on his lips. She scowled when she saw someone missing. Me. I was hiding in the shadows of another tree. She looked aorund for a few moments before she saw me. Pain flashed in her eyes and I knew that she hadn't heard what I said before she died.

"Syusuke-kun..." she whispered before her face filled with shock and she tackled me to the ground, feeling me for something, patting me down. "Found it!" she chirped, reaching around my neck. I blushed as I took notice of the intimate position we were currently in.

"Kagome..." I murmured and she blinked, confused, before she squealed and hopped off of me, face beet red.

"G-gomen... I just wanted the Shikon back..." she stammered and I took the dormant jewel off my neck and handed it to her. The moment it entered her hands it growed brightly before slowly returning to it's dormant-looking state. She glanced up at me as I stood up and our eyes met for a few seconds before I looked away, frightened. A hand carressed my face a moment later and I looked to see Kagome there, that carefree smile on her face. She opened her mouth and the next few words she spoke made me feel so much excitement that I thought my heart might burst.

"I don't blame you" she whispered. I couldn't take it anymore. Ignoring the crowd and the former regulars, I pulled her into my arms and crushed her against my body as I lowered my face and crashed my lips against hers. I was faintly aware of laughter and animal calls but I ignored them. Even more so when Kagome relaxed and smiled against my lips, wrapping her arms around my neck and deepening the kiss. This caused me to smile, too, and I nibbled her bottom lip, asking for entrance, which she gave. I didn't hesitate. We eventually pulled away from eachother to breathe and I saw that her face was flushed with embarrassment. I couldn't help but rest my chin on the top of her head, slightly loosening my grip.

"Oh, kami-sama, I missed you so much..." I panted, eyes shut in contentment, and out of habit.

"Then you should have wished on the jewel sooner, baka..." she teased before commenting. "You've grown, and your voice is deeper."

I smirked. "It's a thing called puberty, Kagome. Unless you haven't hit it quite yet, then I can understand why you don't-"

"Syusuke!" she shouted, pounding my chest in frustration and I laughed, releasing her and stepping back with my hands up in a show of defeat.

"Kidding, kidding."

"Ooooh, Fuji and Kagome, sitting in a tree. K-I-S-S-I-" Eiji began but a glare from Kagome quickly cut him off.

"Never thought you had it in you, senpai" Momo commented and for once, Kaidoh nodded in agreement.

"He was gay based on my calculations. Quite gay." I made sure to remember to get Inui back for that. Kagome laughed and I sighed, taking all of their comments, although not exactly happy with them, or enjoying them. My anger meter was slowly rising by the second and quickly went from 'danger' to 'EVACUATE IMMEDIATELY'. Other than this, today couldn't get any better.

I felt myself calm a tiny bit when Kagome took my hand in hers, but that only increased the comments. But one thing made me just want to shoot myself.

"What are you doing to my cousin?"

That. My eyes snapped open, along with my control as I forced a smile on my face, mouth twitching in annoyance. The regulars shut up to see what I would do.

"Hello, Akaya" I stated as warmly as I could. Which really was about as warm as an ice cube at the moment."My new, dear, dear otouto."

The expression on his face was completely worth the next wave of comments from the regulars. _Completely_. Yes, today really couldn't get any better. But one thing bothered me.

"Why are you wearing my old clothes?" I asked Kagome and she blushed prettily.

"Well, I kind of woke up in your apartment, naked, so..." she trailed off, twiddling her thumbs.

"I wouldn't have minded coming home to that" I teased softly in her ear, just so she could hear, and her eyes widened in shock before her face grew red with embarrassment, then realization, and finally, anger. I made sure to run off.

"Fuji Syusuke, get back here right now!" she demanded and I laughed before yelping in surprise when she appeared in front of me.

"When did you-"

"I had some fun, training in the afterlife" she interrupted as she tackled me over.

"What about your cancer?" I asked worriedly and she smirked.

"What cancer?" she asked innocently before placing a chaste kiss on my lips. I laughed and held her even closer. _Now_ this day really couldn't get any better. "Aisheteru, Syusuke."

I take that thought back. It just did.

The End!

Oh my god, I'm so sad that this series is over! I LOVED TYPING IT SOOO MUCH, ESPECIALLY SINCE I HAD EVERYTHING PLANNED OUT SO KAGOME DYING WASN'T DEPRESSING FOR ME! lol... anyways... I'm going to miss this story so much... sniff sniff **By the way, I'd really appreciate it if you told me how you liked the ending. I usually don't write happy endings but I wanted to try it out and, well, here it is, so make sure to R&R or else I might change my mind about people liking happy endings.** I think they're a little cliche, but whatever.


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